KwaZulu-Natal Leads in Teachers Found Guilty of Sexual Misconduct

• Recent findings revealed that there has been an increase in teachers found guilty of sexually abusing learners countrywide
• Childline in KwaZulu-Natal said that the findings revealed that 39 teachers were found guilty of sexual misconduct
• The findings state that most of the cases in the 2024/2025 financial year are from KwaZulu-Natal, followed by Gauteng

The Childline in KwaZulu-Natal stated that new findings found that 39 teachers were found guilty of sexual misconduct. The findings for the 2024/2025 financial year revealed that most of the teachers are from KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

What did the findings say?

The findings revealed that more teachers are sexually abusing learners countrywide. In the 2023/2024 financial year, there were 82 cases reported. In 2024/2025, which ended in March, 111 cases were reported. Of the cases reported, 39 of the teachers were found guilty of sexual misconduct and seven were found not guilty.

The findings by the Education Labour Relations Council stated that although this is countrywide, the provinces with the highest number of guilt verdicts are KwaZulu-Natal, followed by Gauteng.

Childline in KwaZulu-Natal

Adeshni Naicker, the Director of Childline in KwaZulu-Natal, told the SABC that these educators betrayed the trust that was placed in them. She said that the teachers should be permanently removed from the education system.

Naicker said that this is a violation of the rights of children and that schools should be a safe haven for children. She condemns the actions of the guilty teachers and said that the abuse by educators is inexcusable.

The Department of Basic Education

The Department of Basic Education said vetting is not enough and that more needs to be done. Basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said that once some of these educators are in the system, they start to engage in criminal activities.

"We need to focus on changing the mindset. Remind the adult that they have a duty to protect the young person that is in front of them, that they are supposed to educate and nurture,” Mhlanga said.

What you need to know about child abuse cases

• The Education Labour Relations Council fired 39 teachers after they were found guilty of sexual misconduct.
• A Queenstown Girls' High School male educator has been suspended amid an investigation into misconduct.
• The South Afrian Police Service (SAPS) launched a manhunt for a 58 year-old suspect who allegedly raped a primary school learner.
• The Tembisa Magistrate's Court sentenced a Gauteng school teacher to five life terms for raping a Grade 7 pupil.
• The SAPS are questioning a teenager after an eight-year-old child was raped at a school in Dullstroom, Mpumalanga.

Mother calls for justice after sexual assault case of young girl is withdrawn

Briefly News previously reported that the mother of a three-year-old daughter said that she has lost faith in the justice system after her child was allegedly sexually assaulted at a school in Mpumalanga.

The child was accompanied to the school by her 10-year-old brother. The mother said that the child was early for school and that the gate was not yet opened.

Source: Briefly News