The Eastern Cape education department has suspended three Alfred Nzo East education district teachers for alleged sexual misconduct.
This follows a report by The DispatchLIVE which claimed that one pupil had shaved his head bald “to make himself less attractive” to a teacher who allegedly made sexual advances towards him.
Another student reportedly complained that one of the accused teachers “held his ground on the school premises and punished him for refusing to visit him at home”.
Suspensions
On Monday, the Eastern Cape education department announced that the teachers had been suspended following an initial investigation carried out by the district.
The investigation, according to the department, confirmed several allegations against the teachers.
“Two teachers were served on March 24 this year and the third was served with a letter this morning [Monday] because he is not available.”
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In addition, the psycho-social support team has been activated and started counseling and debriefing the students last week as one of them. [pupils] left school and tried to graduate.
“Provincial and district offices are monitoring the situation and providing the necessary support
Avoiding the loss of life due to this incident.”
The investigation continues.
More teachers on the dock
In a separate matter in the Eastern Cape, a teacher was jailed late last year facing allegations of sexually assaulting 21 pupils at Mdingi Senior Primary School outside Lusikisiki in Ingquza Hill local municipality.
The 35-year-old teacher faces 15 counts of sexual abuse and nine counts of exposing children to pornography.
According to the spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Eastern Cape Luxolo Tyali, the incident happened between November 2021 and October 2022.
It is reported that the teacher started by inappropriately touching the boy’s private parts and thighs in class.
The action eventually escalates and he will lure unsuspecting students to his rented apartment under the guise of helping them with their homework or helping them rearrange their furniture.
The victims were aged between 13 and 17.
READ MORE: Eastern Cape teacher jailed for sexually assaulting 21 male students