Schools appoint rapists
2008-04-27 09:58
Gershwin Chuenyane
Cape Town - Two schools in the Western Cape might be in trouble for appointing convicted rapists.
Villiersdorp Secondary School employed William Zass while he was on parole for attempted rape.
Zass was found guilty of attempted rape in 2002 and sentenced to three years' imprisonment.
Western Cape education department spokesperson Gert Witbooi said Zass was released on parole eight months later.
"In February 2003, Zass was appointed on contract at the Villiersdorp Secondary School and on June 30 2004 raped a colleague. This was also the very same day that his contract came to an end," said Witbooi.
Zass applied for a contract extension but his application was denied when the provincial education department learnt of the rape charges.
Zass was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for raping his colleague, said Witbooi.
Last year, the department rejected a school-governing body nomination of a Laingsburg educator, who was a convicted rapist.
"Despite his dismissal and subsequent court conviction, the school-governing body nominated this educator and even asked him to start teaching before obtaining final approval from the Western Cape education department, which was irregular," said Witbooi.
Demand an investigation
These cases have prompted the Western Cape MEC for education, Cameron Dugmore, to demand an investigation into the way teachers and non-academic staff are hired.
In another incident, a caretaker was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment last month for raping a seven-year-old girl from the Parow East Primary School.
The girl, now 10, is still traumatised, said Witbooi.
"The MEC is awaiting a report and legal opinion on the conduct of the Parow East Primary School principal after he admitted in court proceedings that the caretaker rapist had worked at his home," said Witbooi.
Despite Dugmore having requested full reports into these matters, a month later nothing has arrived on his desk.
Witbooi said Dugmore wanted to determine if the department officials were aware of the appointments and said the department would also interview the school-governing bodies of the schools concerned.
Dugmore has also asked the Public Service Commission, which keeps an eye on labour relations, corruption and service levels among civil servants, to investigate the appointment procedures of teachers and non-academic staff.
He asked the commission to recommend preventative measures that will ensure such appointments are never made again.
Meanwhile, the provincial education department is facing a lawsuit from an 11-year-old school girl who was bound and sodomised by a primary school teacher in November 2006.
Psychological trauma
Women's Legal Centre attorney Noluthando Ntlokwana said the girl will be suing the teacher and department for R200 000 in damages relating to emotional and psychological trauma.
She said the amount could be higher because they had not yet concluded the full assessment of damages, which will include future medical expenses.
Ntlokwana said the criminal charges were provisionally withdrawn against the teacher after the girl broke down in court last year.
As a result, the teacher was reinstated and the school abandoned a disciplinary hearing.
She said the girl had already attended 10 counselling sessions and would attend 10 more to help her face her attacker in court.
Busi Sambo of Childline said: "It is inappropriate for schools to employ people without properly screening them because it puts learners and staffs' lives at risk."
- City Press