‘TEACHERS USED US, ABUSED US, SOLD US’
20 Eastern Cape boarding-school girls hold public protest, one teacher arrested, four under precautionary suspension. Claims of two pregnancies
Department, cops investigate as hostel girls lay complaints against teachers
A historic Eastern Cape missionary boarding school has been rocked by a sex scandal, where teachers are alleged to have been sleeping with pupils, and even impregnating some of them.
One of the teachers pointed out by the pupils is a senior educator.
Police spokesperson Mali Govender confirmed that a case of sexual assault had been opened for investigation and a 37-year-old male teacher taken into custody.
The teacher was arrested on Friday. Govender said they were unable to provide further details on the case at this stage.
The provincial department of education confirmed that five pupils had laid complaints against five staff members, who have since been placed on precautionary suspension, and that it was investigating.
Department spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani said: “In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, the department has decided to immediately place all the implicated staff members, including the principal, on precautionary suspension.
“This step does not assume guilt, but is only meant to ensure that the investigation can be concluded quickly and and is not impeded.”
He said the investigation was expected to be completed by October 12.
The pupils have accused four teachers, including the senior educator, and a clerk, of sleeping with some of the girls housed at the school’s hostel.
It is alleged that two pupils were impregnated by teachers in the past two years. One of the pupils is said to have dropped out of school in 2017 while the second pupil reportedly left in September to give birth.
The pupils have also accused the senior educator of “pimping” some of the girls to men in exchange for cash.
The Dispatch visited the school this week, after pupils engaged in a protest over the allegations on Wednesday.
The school is surrounded by the founding church, the teacher’s housing village, where some of the teachers live, and the hostel.
The school caters for both girls and boys, but only the 300 girls are housed at the hostel.
According to pupils, the teachers were allegedly sleeping with pupils at the teachers’ cottages, a stone’s throw from the school, and at local B&Bs.
The Dispatch spoke to a group of about 20 Grade 11 girls, who blew the lid on the scandal by initiating the protest.
“This is not new; it has been going on for years and when we try to speak out, the teachers would try and cover it up and squash our reports,” said the pupil.
The pupil accused the senior educator of “pimping” them by accepting cash from men in exchange for sex with the girls.
“He came to the hostel and got some of the girls in the car and took them to his house across the school and made them sleep with the men.
The men would then pay him for this,” said the pupil.
One of the pupils said a teacher tried to get her to sleep with him.
“He started asking me for favours such as typing out tests.
“Then it escalated to having conversations on WhatsApp were he begged to come visit me.
“He once hugged and tried to kiss me, but we never slept together,” she said.
The education department had sent highlevel officials to investigate and called the allegations “serious”, Pulumani said.
He said after the protest an incident report was submitted where the five pupils accused five staff members of sexual harassment and sexual assault.
A petition drawn up by pupils, demanding answers and action, was also submitted in the report.
“In the interim, the department will immediately appoint an administrator to take responsibility for the full running of the school.
“Additionally, substitute educators will be immediately appointed, to ensure that learners are not adversely affected due to the suspensions,” Pulumani said.
Reverend Lulama Ntshingwa, who is close to the school and is the Eastern Cape president of SA Council of Churches, described the allegations as a “shocking revelation”.