Picture: Reivilo High School principal, Motsamai Mokgara/Facebook
By OBAKENG MAJE
28 August 2025- The North West Department of Education has made a U-turn on its statement over the suspension of the Reivilo High School principal, Motsamai Mokgara. Previously, the department said it had placed Mokgara under precautionary suspension after he allegedly assaulted a Grade 10 learner, Koketso Manyeke (16).
In a letter, Koketso reminisce her ordeal and said the whole incident was sparked by a commotion that ensued between her and other three learners, Gorataone Jonas, Oratile Ntaolang and Kamogelo Keakwa, after they threw leaves of the tree mixed with sand into her face.
“This happened a few minutes before I was about to write my examination. After my examination, I came across one of the learners who threw sand into my face near the library, and then I confronted her.
“I asked her why she threw the sand into my face, and then she said because she wanted to. That made me upset and we fought. However, the principal passed by driving his vehicle and he stopped,” she said.
Koketso further said that Mokgara then took a belt from one of the AAs, and assaulted her. She added that she tried to explain the situation, but Mokgara did not want to listen.
The wretched mother of the affected learner, Galaletsang Manyeke, said she is disappointed by the behaviour of Mokgara. Galaletsang said: “As a parent, I was called by my daughter saying that the principal assaulted her with a belt because she was in a fight with a fellow learner.
“It is disheartening because the principal only assaulted my daughter. I just wonder what discretion he used to find my daughter at fault alone.”
Manyeke said according to information, Mokgara took a belt from one of the AAs and assaulted her daughter.
“Koketso said she was shocked to see how the principal beat her and she was just standing there crying. She said no one intervened, while she was being assaulted with a belt,” said Manyeke.
She said she wondered why Mokgara decided to assault her daughter without summoning her parents to the school or temporarily suspend her, instead of disciplining her in a form of corporal punishment.
However, the North West Department of Education spokesperson, Mphata Molokwane lied and said they are aware that allegations of corporal punishment have been made against the Reivilo High School principal. Molokwane said these allegations have been backed up by written reports.
“These serious claims are currently under disciplinary review and investigation. To protect sensitive information and ensure fairness, all details remain confidential. The principal was placed on precautionary suspension during the inquiry, a step taken to allow the investigation to proceed, not as punishment.
“Once the investigation is complete, the suspension will be lifted, following legal rules to ensure due process and transparency,” he said.
One of our reliable sources informed The Guardian Newspaper that Mokgara was never suspended and was still at the school. Now, Molokwane confessed to The Guardian Newspaper that indeed Mokgara was never suspended.
“Please note that a precautionary suspension is not a disciplinary action. It is implemented when necessary, such as when there are reasonable grounds to believe that investigations may be compromised or interfered with or that evidence may be tampered with in the presence of the individual involved.
“Additionally, any procedures undertaken are strictly based on applicable policies and legislation rather than personal opinions or assumptions. In this regard, the Reivilo HS case was thoroughly investigated and resolved during the school recess period with the participation of the affected parties. Mokgara is not suspended,” he said.
Meanwhile, the statistics show that corporal punishment has a negative impact and can cause both physical and psychological harm and hinder learners’ academic and social development. The report said corporal punishment can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and even increased aggression, while also disrupting the learning environment and potentially causing learners to drop out.
According to the Statistics SA report in 2023, corporal punishment still is being practiced in schools despite the ban. The Abolishing of Corporal Punishment Act, No. 33 of 1997 banned the use of corporal punishment in schools.
“Despite the ban, corporal punishment is still used as a form of discipline more than 20 years later. Of those that reported experiencing violence at school, the most common form of violence experienced was corporal punishment by teachers.
“This is according to a recently released report by Statistics South Africa called Children Series Volume I Children exposed to maltreatment, 2021. In 2019, just over 1 million out of 13 million school-going children aged 5 – 17 years reported that they had experienced some form of violence.”
The report said of those who experienced violence at school, close to 84% experienced corporal punishment by teachers, followed by verbal abuse by teachers (13,7%) and physical violence by teachers (10,6%). Between 2009 and 2019, the percentage of children who experienced verbal abuse by other learners increased by six percentage points from 18,1% in 2009 to 24,1% in 2019.
The Guardian 