GAUTENG – The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has called for immediate action following allegations that an educator raped a nine-year-old learner at Busisiwe Primary School in Zola, Soweto.
Committee chairperson Joy Maimela expressed shock and concern over the allegations, saying schools must remain safe spaces for children.
“We have noted reports that a nine-year-old learner was allegedly raped on the school premises by an educator at the school. Schools are constitutionally mandated to be safe spaces where learners are protected, nurtured and educated. Any act of violence against a child within a school environment, particularly by an educator, constitutes an egregious breach of trust and the law,” Maimela said.
The committee extended support to the victim, her family and the school community.
While acknowledging that Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile dispatched officials to investigate the matter, the committee stressed that the severity of the allegations requires decisive action as soon as preliminary findings are established. The committee also called for psychosocial support for the learner and others affected.
Maimela said systemic mechanisms must be applied to remove sexual misconduct from schools.
“The committee reasserts that the National Register for Sex Offenders must be strictly enforced across all provincial education departments. Vetting must be continuous and uncompromising, ensuring that any individual listed on the register is permanently removed from the schooling system and barred from working with children,” she said.
The committee highlighted the role of the South African Council for Educators in vetting and registering qualified educators. This registration includes vetting of criminal records, and conviction for a sexual offence against a child or vulnerable person leads to mandatory listing on the National Register for Sex Offenders and disqualifies an individual from working in schools.
The committee said it will monitor the progress of the investigation by the Gauteng Department of Education and law enforcement agencies to ensure accountability and justice for the victim.
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