Six teachers from St Johns’ College in Mthatha suspended over sexual harassment allegations. Image: SABC News.
(The Post News)- Six teachers from St. John’s College in Mthatha have been suspended by the Eastern Cape Provincial Education Department pending an internal investigation. Their suspension follows grave allegations of sexual harassment, exploitation, and intimidation of minors.
The scandal has thrown the prestigious school into turmoil. During the week, students marched in protest, demanding justice after claims surfaced that some male educators impregnated learners and pressured them into undergoing abortions.
Learners Claim They Were Threatened by Teachers
According to reports from students, the teachers in question intimidated the victims and their parents. Moreover, the teachers also tried to make the allegations go away through bribery; however, the learners reported the matter to the Congress of South African Students (COSAS).
Meanwhile, COSAS has vowed to support affected learners and keep pressure on the authorities. COSAS NEC Member Zama Mvula said the organization is disillusioned with the official response so far. “We feel like the Department of Education is failing us,” Mvula said.
They also tried to bribe them, but unfortunately that did not happen because the victims came out and told us as COSAS that here we are and we are the victims, and so we are tired.” He added that the matter affects multiple grades, from 8 to 12, underscoring the severity of the allegations.
The learners, on the other hand, have demanded not only suspension but also permanent removal of the teachers from the teaching profession. “We cannot have them teaching in any other school because they are going to be perpetrators again and again. The learners want the educators to be removed from the field of education, urging that some of them ought to be jailed because what they are doing is unlawful.
Parents echoed these calls for swift accountability. Vuyokazi Mbingeleli, mother of one of the learners, voiced the anguish of families caught in the scandal. “We want to know when the perpetrator is going to be arrested,” she pleaded. She continued to add, “We want to see justice. There are many other cases that should be investigated.”
Department of Education Condemns the Allegations
The Eastern Cape Provincial Education Department has condemned the allegations and stressed that its internal investigation is ongoing. Spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima urged patience, saying, “We are dealing with very serious allegations, and we must follow due process. Parents and learners can be assured that the department will not compromise on protecting children’s rights.”
As the investigation continues, the St. John’s College community remains in shock, grappling with a crisis that has shaken its reputation and raised urgent questions about the safety of learners in schools.
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