Bergview College Principal Jaco Pieterse Opens Up After Cwecwe Rape Allegations

• Bergview College headmaster Jaco Pieterse has spoken about his experience since he was pegged as a suspect in Cwecwe's rape case
• Pieterse was accused of having a hand in the incident after he refused to give his DNA and was accused of covering the incident up
• He said his wife's guesthouse had to close down, and friends and family members received threats
• ActionSA's Mpumalanga provincial chairperson Thoko Mashiane spoke to Briefly News about the case

With nine years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

MATATIELE, EASTERN CAPE — Bergview College principal Jaco Pieterse said his life has taken a turn for the worse since he was labelled a suspect in the rape of little Cwecwe in Matatiele, Eastern Cape. He has also been removed as a potential suspect in the case as the state widens its scope of investigation.

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What did Pieterse say?

AfriForum's Head of Communications for the Private Prosecution Unit, Barry Bateman, posted tweets on his @barrybateman X account in which he quoted Pieterse, whom AfriForum is representing.

Pieterse came under fire after the case's investigative officer asked for his DNA sample in February this year. Cwecwe was raped in October 2024, allegedly on the school's premises. However, AfriForum previously cast doubt on whether the rape took place on the school.

Pieterse opens up

Pieterse said the impact of the allegations and the case has not fully hit him yet. He said his wife's guesthouse had to close down because of threats. He had building projects which remain unfinished, and his family and friends' lives have been threatened.

"On the one side of the scale of emotions, I experience frustration, surprise, disbelief and concern for others. On the other end of the scale, we as a family have received so much support and encouragement from friends, colleagues, and the community that the feeling is sometimes overwhelming and leads to more tears of joy than tears of sorrow or fear," he said.

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Pieterse insists he did not cover up

Pieterse also said when the case was reported, he met with the South African Police Service on two occasions in December, two months after the rape took place. He said that the case needed to be handled with integrity and sensitivity. Bateman also mentioned that the man who was accused of being Jaco Pieterse, the principal. is in fact a small business owner from the Free State.

Read the X tweets here:

Briefly News speaks to ActionSA

ActionSA's Mpumalanga chairperson Thoko Mashiane spoke to Briefly News about the case.

"The case of little Cwecwe is a heart-breaking example of institutional failure. Despite a serious allegation of assault, the police and school delayed action for months. This inaction undermines public confidence in both the education and justice systems," she said.

What you need to know about Cwecwe's rape case

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• The National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, directed the head of the FCS unit to intervene in the case after it went viral
• Meanwhile, the school filed papers with the Eastern Cape High Court to appeal the Department of Education's notice to deregister the school
• AfriForum received backlash from the public for representing Pieterse in an advisory capacity
• AfriForum maintained that the rape did not take place at the school and that Pieterse was not a suspect

Report suggests Cwecwe was possibly raped multiple times

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindiswe Chikunga said a medical report revealed that Cwecwe may have been raped multiple times.

Pieterse came under fire after the case's investigative officer asked for his DNA sample. Cwecwe was raped in October, allegedly on the school's premises. However, AfriForum phreviously cast doubt on whether the rape took place on the school.

Source: Briefly News