Former principal up for assault
JOHANNESBURG: A former principal is expected to appear in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court next month on a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm for an attack on a pupil who has since died, Mpumalanga police said.
Spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said the incident took place at a school in Mhluzi last year.
“According to information at (the) police’s disposal, on August 4, 2016, the suspect allegedly assaulted a 14-yearold learner, Siphamandla Fana Choma who has since passed on,” Hlathi said.
“The cause of death of Choma is unknown at the moment. However, the police opened an inquest docket to probe his death, for which only preliminary post-mortem results were received but sent back for further processing. The final post-mortem results are still awaited before the matter can be finalised.”
The accused is expected to appear in court on September 6.
He was fired by the school on July 23 after an internal disciplinary inquiry.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Mondli Zuma said the community must not prejudge the matter, but rather allow the authorities to complete their investigations and allow the court to hear the case.
Jasper Zwane, a spokesperson for the education department, said: “The department found that the principal violated the sacrosanct responsibility of protecting learners in the school.
“His conduct has brought the efficiency and administration of the department into disrepute.
“In terms of section 10 of the South African Schools Act number 84 of 1998, corporal punishment is prohibited.
“This section provides further that any person who contravenes it is guilty of assault and is liable to a sentence that may be imposed for assault.”
Having considered these factors and the aggravating and mitigating factors, the department concluded that an appropriate sanction was dismissal.
Siphamandla was reportedly accused of stealing R150. He died on March 19 in hospital, after being admitted following the alleged assault. – ANA