Motshekga: Sex pest teachers still in class

2013-03-15 08:42

(Picture: AFP)

Johannesburg - Forty-five percent of teachers found guilty of sexual misconduct against pupils are still allowed to teach, according to a report on Friday.

The Star reported that this had been revealed by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga in an oral reply to a parliamentary question by the Democratic Alliance.

Motshekga said 136 teachers were found guilty of sexual abuse-related cases between 2009 and 2012.

Of these, only 62 had been struck off the teachers' register.

The others were suspended for a certain period, on condition they were not found guilty of misconduct during their suspension.

Meanwhile a KwaZulu-Natal department of education official has accused parents of accepting bribes from sex pest teachers in exchange for having child sex abuse charges withdrawn.

Sihle Mlotshwa, a KZN education department spokesperson told the Daily News: "Once they receive the money, the parents will refuse to co-operate.

"What we also find is that there are parents who take pride in the fact that their children are dating teachers. So in most cases, parents are the problem in cases going forward."

Mlotshwa said it was parents from disadvantaged backgrounds that accepted the bribes.

Mlotshwa said the department had been unaware that a teacher who had been convicted and sentenced for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old schoolgirl five years ago, had again started teaching at a different school.

The matter was brought to the attention of the public protector and resulted in the teacher’s dismissal.

The teacher had been given a suspended sentence.

A parent at the school raised the alarm, sending the public protector a copy of the charge sheet.

- News24