A 33-year-old Durban teacher has been suspended after his relationship with a 14-year-old pupil went public.

Details of the affair‚ which played out over several months‚ were addressed at the Bechet Secondary School in Sydenham on Friday. The teacher had sent several photographs of himself — in various stages of undress‚ including fully naked — to the girl.

Addressing pupils from the school‚ education department head Vusumuzi Nzama said pupils dating their teachers should be considered “a sin”.

“You need to guard against this practice and make sure that you focus on your school work. This is a narrative that you must combat amongst yourselves. The teacher in question‚ who sent the naughty messages to the learner‚ has been suspended‚” he added.

Nzama said the secret relationship had come to light after the Grade 9 girl’s phone was examined by her parents.

They discovered an exchange that stretched over a lengthy period and immediately reported the matter to the police for further investigation.

“When they reported the matter to the police they also reported the matter to the department‚ so that we too could probe this. The learner has been moved to a different school for her safety‚” he added.

While Nzama stopped short of saying that their was an improper sexual relationship between the two‚ he did say that the images exchanged were sexually suggestive.

The latest allegation comes on the back of similar claims across the province.

TMG Digital previously reported that‚ between November 2014 and November 2016‚ 20 teachers or principals were suspended on sexual abuse charges.

-TMG Digital