Q&A with Eastern Cape education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima

Street protests by pupils in the Eastern Cape have lifted the lid on sexual abuse, which they say is rampant in schools across the province. Chris Barron asked provincial education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima ...

Would you agree sexual abuse at your schools is a crisis?

It is a crisis.

What has your department done about it?

Once we learnt about it we established a hotline where learners can report, and we have people who are providing them with counselling.

When did you learn about it?

I think in September or October.

You only learnt it was a crisis a month ago?

We learnt about the magnitude between September and October when kids were reporting it.

It’s been going on for years, hasn’t it?

Whenever this shows its ugly head — for instance, one child could be a victim — we normally would make a typical example of the person who did that, using, of course, the labour relations process. Unfortunately, this time they came in numbers.

You mean pupils from St John’s College in Mthatha who decided the crisis was being ignored hit the streets?

Yes, St John’s, JS Skenjana (Senior Secondary). There are 20 teachers that have been suspended.

How many have gone to jail?

Normally, we are not liable to report the matter. Hence we encourage those that are victims through providing them with the necessary support so that they can report the matter.

Isn’t it your legal obligation to report matters of sexual abuse?

No, that’s not the case. When we have gone to the police we are reminded that only the victim can open a case.

So what do you do when you hear about a complaint of sexual abuse by a teacher?

The first thing we do is provide psychosocial support for the child. Next is to set the follow-up, where they will go and make a statement so that a case can be opened against the perpetrator. Then we would normally start a disciplinary investigation that will determine whether there is prima facie evidence or not to continue with the case. Once it is determined that there is, we suspend you and then continue with a full-blown investigation.

How long does it take you to suspend a teacher?

If we learn about it on Monday, on Wednesday the teacher is no longer there.

Is the teacher blacklisted?

If you are found guilty by the department, the department records you on the sex offenders’ register.

Given all the stuff you say the department is doing, why has sexual abuse in schools reached such crisis levels?

We are investigating that to ascertain what led to all these things, because we ensure that every educator, when he starts, is trained on section 17.1 of the Educators’ Act, which states clearly that an educator is not supposed to have any sexual relations with a learner.

Would you agree that’s not working?

Out of 54,000-plus educators, only 20 have committed a crime, and you’re telling me that’s not working?

According to a report in 2021, 25% of schoolgirls in the Eastern Cape left school after being made pregnant. Doesn’t that suggest more than 20?

I’m only aware of the report I have from the schools compiled this year that says there are 20 cases of teachers that have been reported to us.