A FORMER pupil is suing the Department of Basic Education and his former primary school teacher for R4m for injuries he sustained in Grade 3 - and which he says left him disabled.

Selby Oupa Mokonyama, 22, has filed papers at the Pretoria High Court in which he alleges that his class teacher severely assaulted him with a broomstick when he was eight years old.

Mokonyama says he was punished for making a noise while his teacher was at a meeting in the principal's office.

He had been at Molemo Primary School in Zebediela, Limpopo, for only three months, he says.

Mokonyama, who lives in Mamelodi East, says he cannot walk without crutches.

"I was not born disabled," he says. "I loved playing soccer. She robbed me off a possibly bright future and never even said sorry."

He says most of his classmates would also have been assaulted that day but he was the unfortunate one since he was the first to be punished.

He alleges that the teacher hit him seven times on his buttocks, injuring his spinal cord.

"It was the most painful beating I was ever subjected to. I fell to the ground and could not get up again," he recalls.

"My screams drew the attention of a teacher next door who came to my rescue. I have been from one hospital to another but there is nothing the doctors can do for me."

He says he eventually had an operation and was able to sit but the operation did not restore his balance.

"I have had training from physiotherapists but it is like riding a dead horse. I dreamed of being a soccer player and a mechanical engineer. She destroyed my life."

Mokonyama says he was forced to drop out of school because his schoolmates called him names.

"I cried almost every time I looked in the mirror because I was not born like this."

Mokonyama says he went to an FET college last year but his family ran out of money. He is now waiting for his family to raise funds. The case was postponed to allow the education department time to respond.

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Sat May 25 22:10:16 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 6, 2012

MommaC

How do you damage the spine by hitting someone on their backside?
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Aug 6, 2012

Real-Mogwanthi

Good my man....sue them and anyway theres a lot of money in our goverment and they chaf it.
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Aug 6, 2012

legrado

some of the stories are untrue to believe, after fourteen years. why were you so quite for so long.? what makes him to cough out the story now? is this the way of sucking our government?
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Aug 6, 2012

FreddyG

My SubA teacher used to beat me, now I have a phobia of wooden rulers. I going to sue!!!!!

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Aug 6, 2012

Maratachelete

Can I sue somebody for something,please.Since South Africans love suing.
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Aug 6, 2012

papamasentlelebonolo

Why after such a long time?? You are taking chances bra
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Aug 6, 2012

Kaylae

if its not striking its suing tjeeeer
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Aug 6, 2012

Chichi7

and what was this pupil waiting for for all these years? Taking fat chances.
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Aug 6, 2012

Msikana

I am sorry to hear that my man, I think suing is the best way because disbled youth don't have any future in this country, people are greedy rather go for suing than thinking you will work ur !ssup!
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Aug 6, 2012

KarlMarx1

@MommaC - What is a backside? Against popular belief, it is not you fat *ss. It is your back all the way down. You find a spinal cord on the back, unless if you are abnormal or an alien.

@Maratachelete - we do not sue for the fun of it, it is about getting compensation for rights that were violated. Get someone to break your spine then see if it is funny not being able to walk.

@Chichi7 @papamasentlelebonolo - You are really disappointing! Are you saying the department should get away with destroying this person's life? What if it was your child? The department must be held vicariously liable for the misdeeds of their cruel and reckless teachers regardless of how long it takes.


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