Principal faces charges over assault

2011-03-11 17:03

Johannesburg - The SA Democratic Teachers Union's Gauteng chairperson, Moss Senye, was due to appear in the Meadowlands Magistrate's court in Soweto on Monday to face criminal charges.

The Meadowlands school principal, Senye, and teacher Ofentse Phehle were accused of assaulting a 17-year-old pupil.

The education ministry suspended Senye in February pending the outcome of the court case.

At the last appearance, more than 100 teachers protested outside the court demanding he be reinstated.

At a mass rally on Thursday, the union proposed security allowances for its members saying teachers, like police officers, deserved a danger allowance.

It said the safety of teachers was a concern because some children came to school with weapons.

On Friday he was caught up in a row over comments suggesting that Gauteng education MEC Barbara Creecy hates black people, but he remained optimistic ahead of his appearance.

"By the way, I'm appearing in court on Monday. You must come," he said, adding that there would be a huge crowd outside court.

Earlier, he called on Creecy to step down.

At the rally, he allegedly labelled Creecy a "satanist" and urged members not to align themselves with white people as they would be tainted with satanism.

His comments were condemned by the ANC in Gauteng who labelled them "irresponsible" and "reckless."

The secretary of his union body also distanced the union from his comments.

"If such a statement was made, it is indeed, highly regrettable," Mugwena Maluleke said.

- SAPA