TWO Soweto high school teachers escaped spending the night in jail yesterday after a warrant of arrest against them was withdrawn.
The warrant was issued earlier in the morning when Meadowlands High School principal Moses Senye and teacher Fancy Phehle failed to appear in time in the Protea Magistrate's Court. The two are accused of assaulting a pupil at the school.
Their lawyer, Advocate Mancha Manaka, apologised on their behalf and told magistrate William Botha that they were delayed.
Manaka said: "The accused were delayed because one of them did not have transport. He asked the other accused to pick him up and give him a lift to court."
He then asked for a postponement because the state had not provided him with the docket. Botha later withdrew the warrant of arrest against the two.
Senye and Phehle were suspended in February following the assault allegations. The pupil was allegedly beaten and kicked by the accused after he had been "disruptive" in class.
Two months ago, pupils at the school threatened to bring education in the township to a halt if Senye's suspension was not lifted.
The school governing body and parents barred pupils and teachers from entering the school, demanding the reinstatement of Senye.
In February 2008, Senye and Sam Nengwekhulu were acquitted on charges of malicious damage to property and assault in the Vereeniging Magistrate's Court. Magistrate Ebrahim Makda found Senye and Nengwekhulu not guilty of the charges related to the public sector strike in June 2007.
The two were accused of assaulting Clare Lucas, the principal of St George's Primary School in Ennerdale, two pupils and the school's cleaner.
Teachers nearly spent time in jail
TWO Soweto high school teachers escaped spending the night in jail yesterday after a warrant of arrest against them was withdrawn.
The warrant was issued earlier in the morning when Meadowlands High School principal Moses Senye and teacher Fancy Phehle failed to appear in time in the Protea Magistrate's Court. The two are accused of assaulting a pupil at the school.
Their lawyer, Advocate Mancha Manaka, apologised on their behalf and told magistrate William Botha that they were delayed.
Manaka said: "The accused were delayed because one of them did not have transport. He asked the other accused to pick him up and give him a lift to court."
He then asked for a postponement because the state had not provided him with the docket. Botha later withdrew the warrant of arrest against the two.
Senye and Phehle were suspended in February following the assault allegations. The pupil was allegedly beaten and kicked by the accused after he had been "disruptive" in class.
Two months ago, pupils at the school threatened to bring education in the township to a halt if Senye's suspension was not lifted.
The school governing body and parents barred pupils and teachers from entering the school, demanding the reinstatement of Senye.
In February 2008, Senye and Sam Nengwekhulu were acquitted on charges of malicious damage to property and assault in the Vereeniging Magistrate's Court. Magistrate Ebrahim Makda found Senye and Nengwekhulu not guilty of the charges related to the public sector strike in June 2007.
The two were accused of assaulting Clare Lucas, the principal of St George's Primary School in Ennerdale, two pupils and the school's cleaner.
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