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No closure: Sibongile Khathwayo, left, mourns her son Sebenele, who died four days after he was allegedly assaulted by his teacher. With her is the child's aunt Mary Mlangeni. Photo: Sibongile Mashaba

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Sibongile Monica Mashaba allegedly assaulted Sebenele Ndlovu, a pupil at Sidlemu Primary School in Mangweni Trust near Tonga in Mpumalanga, with a broomstick on June 3 for missing school on June 1.

When he ran out of the classroom crying, Mashaba allegedly ordered his classmates to go and "beat him up because he was pissing her off". They allegedly carried out the instruction and kicked him in the body as he lay on the ground.

Sebenele's father Solomon Ndlovu said he was upset because the police were not keeping them informed about the investigations.

"We do not know what is happening with the investigations. We foresee the case being squashed and the teacher walking free.

"The incident happened about two months ago, surely she should have been arrested by now," Ndlovu said.

The teacher was arrested, but the Tonga Magistrate's Court provisionally struck the case off the roll.

Provincial police spokesman Sergeant Gerald Sedibe said the docket had been sent back to the court for a decision on whether to prosecute or not.

He said investigations were continuing.

Mpumalanga National Prosecutions Authority spokesman Medupi Simasiku said they received the docket but had sent it back to the police. "The investigation is not complete. There is still insufficient evidence to prosecute," Simasiku said.

The provincial department of education suspended the teacher on June 15, but the teacher subsequently handed in her resignation on June 18.

However, education MEC Reginah Mhaule said the teacher had been discharged in terms of the Employment of Educators Act.

The law stipulates that any educator appointed in a permanent capacity who, while suspended from duty, resigns, shall unless the employer directs otherwise, be deemed to have been discharged from service on account of misconduct.

"This simply means that this teacher [Mashaba] will at no stage be employed in public service to work with children in accordance with the Children's Act of 2005," Mhaule said last month.

But this has not brought comfort to Sebenele's family. The postmortem indicated that their little boy had died of unnatural causes.

"It is a good thing that she has been banned from the profession, but she also has to face criminal charges," Ndlovu said.

Sebenele's mother Sibongile Khathwayo, 33, said the pain of losing her child was still fresh. Sebenele's dream was to become a policeman.

Comments

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Thu Jun 20 00:12:13 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 7, 2012

GODESS

Eish mara nna it pains me to hear about ngwana being harmed, poor little souls just want to have candy, play and be happy. cannot imagine my boys in such situations.
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Aug 7, 2012

Maratachelete

It is slowly becoming unbearable to live in a country,where citezens are treated like refugees in their own countries,with its government failing them daily.
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Aug 7, 2012

candilious

WTF............mxm
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Aug 7, 2012

phakisas

i have said it before. corporal panishment is on the raise in SA. our children are still beaten at goverment schools. hanse we had a high number of school dropouts. its time that the law should be enforced and the culprits faces the harsh hands of the law. killerr teachers.
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Aug 7, 2012

Kaylae

How can a mother do that,as a teacher one is entrusted with your child's life for her to harm him like that and bringing trauma to the other pupils she had sent to finish this boy off SAD
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Aug 7, 2012

Mellow

The teacher was arrested, but the Tonga Magistrate's Court provisionally struck the case off the roll.
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WTF? Seriously this is crazy...some people how do you trap a child to death? And she will be walking free soon very sad she should be behind bars bloody woman

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Aug 7, 2012

lindsay

what is it that is insufficient for the prosecution. the wiatch pommelled the kid with a broom stick and then ordered other kids to murder him just for being absent what is insufficient about that?
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Aug 7, 2012

SEMO

Lock the BITCH away and throw away the keys away.
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