By BAKANG MOKOTO
9 December 2024- The Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) in the North West on Monday declared the granting of bail to a deputy principal (63), who is accused of raping a learner (12), from Kgwanyape Primary school in Majakaneng village, outside Brits, as a travesty of justice and a setback against fighting Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).
Pastor Lesiba Kgwele, who is a convenor of the MRM North West Interim Committee, called on the North West Department of Education to immediately suspend the official facing charges of sexual grooming, sexual assault and statutory rape.
Kgwele said this comes after the accused allegedly kissed the victim in 2023, and purportedly began to send her nude pictures.
“It is reported that seeing the messages, the victim’s friend informed her mother and a teacher requested them to bring the phones to school for observation. The mother of the victim was subsequently informed of the incident by the school and a case was opened against the accused on 23 November 2024.
“The accused was arrested on 25 November, after he handed himself over to the Brits Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences offices,” he said.
Kgwele further pointed out that MRM will be referring the matter to the South African Council of Educators (SACE), to probe the deputy principal’s alleged conduct, which it views as despicable, unethical, violation of educators’ code of conduct and bringing the teaching profession into disrepute.
He added that educators are expected to act in ‘loco-parentis’ and to at all material times protect learners in keeping with values adopted by their respective school communities.
“The granting of bail to perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence & Femicide (GBVF), undermines the objective to send an unequivocal message that there is no place in our society for those who have no regard for women and children’s rights, including the sanctity of life of the most vulnerable in our communities,” said Kgwele.
He declared that miscarriage of justice contributes significantly towards eroding public confidence in the criminal justice system often resulting in communities opting for desperate measures that include taking the law into their own hands.
Kgwele said their disappointment is that the alleged perpetrator was granted bail besides evidence presented suggesting that he had reportedly attempted to intimidate witnesses.
“We emphasise that education authorities and school governing bodies are expected to exercise zero tolerance to sexual violence against learners in order to tackle the scourge of GBVF.
“This also includes ensuring that everyone employed at their various institutions are not registered on the National Sexual Offenders Register,” he said.
The Guardian 