By REGINALD KANYANE
The Grade 12 learners who stay in Picong village, near Taung, and attend school at Kebinelang Secondary School in Manthe village said, they do not feel safe anymore.
This comes after a Grade 12 learner was allegedly raped on 19 January 2023, while walking home after extra classes. According to the North West police, a learner (20) was walking home with her friend when the ordeal occurred.
The North West police spokesperson in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati cluster, Warrant Officer Tryphosa van Rooyen said: “The two female learners were walking from Manthe on their way to Picong after school and were stopped along the way by an unknown male, who threatened them with a knife.
“He allegedly forced himself on the victim. The suspect allegedly lost control of his knife and both the victim and her friend managed to run away.”
Van Rooyen further said, the suspect is unknown and no arrest has been made. She added that, the investigation into the matter continues and anyone who has the information that could lead the police to the arrest of the suspect, can call 0800 10111 or go to the nearest police station.
A Grade 12 learner, Keamogetse Makoloi, who is the eyewitness said, they do not feel safe anymore. Makoloi said, they could not board the scholar transport because of extra classes.
“We normally use scholar transport, but on the day, we were attending extra classes. So, the scholar transport left at its scheduled time and we were left stranded.
“We were walking behind the victim and her friend when the incident happened. There was a guy wearing a red overall top and a brown trouser. He was also wearing a red neck warm,” she said.
Makoloi also urges the North West Department of Education and its sister department, North West Community Safety and Transport Management to organise a scholar transport that could ferry them to their homes after extra classes.
The North West Department of Education refused to comment and said, it is the responsibility of the North West Community Safety and Transport Management to provide learners with scholar transport.
However, the North West Community Safety and Transport Management spokesperson, Alpheus Koonyaditse said: “Firstly, the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari condemns in the strongest terms any violation of any child’s basic rights.
“The service provider and the school agree on a time for the transportation for learners.”
One of the parents, Ntswaki Molaolwa, said it is disheartening to see this happening, while learners trying to better themselves through education. Molaolwa said, in most cases, learners are forced to walk long distances because sometimes there is no scholar transport available or it is broken.
“The scholar transport is essential and forms an integral part of the right to basic education. However, sometimes learners suffer because they either could not get scholar transport because of its non-availability.
“The department should understand that, learners are not safe anymore as they walk home alone. Violence and criminality is a blight that continues to affect us all, but as a society, we need to work together and combat it,” said Molaolwa.
The Guardian 