The 44-year-old school principal charged with committing multiple sexual offences against pupils shook hands with his supporters like a celebrity before making his way to the court holding cells at the Scottburgh Magistrates’ Court today.
The principal, who is not named since he has not pleaded in the case, faces multiple counts of rape, sexual assault and exposing genital organs.
The case has been postponed to next month.
City Press understands that an additional count has been added to the nine counts against him. This is after another victim, a 14-year-old, came forward.
But if this is causing the principal sleepless nights, he is not showing it. The accused was all smiles as he shook hands with his supporters. They rushed to him as he was being escorted from the dock.
The principal was arrested at his school in Amahlongwa in Umkomaas in November last year after a number of pupils told a Bobbi Bear counsellor, Ladyfair Sibiya, of the rapes. Sibiya was at the school giving a sexual education talk to the pupils who later alerted her to what was going on.
The alleged victims are said to be between 13 and 15 years old.
The principal allegedly got access to his victims by ordering them to clean his office or keeping them at school for “extra tutoring”.
Earlier court appearances were chaotic as community members and the relatives of the principal came to blows.
During one of these appearances, a water bottle was thrown at an SABC cameraman’s face. He was also threatened by the principal’s supporters, who did not want him to take footage. The investigating officer was also slapped.
The situation has since calmed down.
