THREE Mpumalanga teachers who were each fined R1000 for allegedly assaulting a pupil have been vindicated.

The Marapyane periodical court yesterday withdrew the charges against Snepi Mohlamonyane, Solly Molai and the principal Prince Mokwele, who were arrested last year on assault charges.

The teachers and the principal were set free after the court said evidence presented by the 17-year-old Grade 11 pupil was not credible.

The court said the pupil failed to produce a doctor's certificate when he claimed he had been assaulted by the three teachers at Khamane High School in Marapyane in the KwaMhlanga area of Mpumalanga.

The teachers felt their department had short-changed them by slapping them with a R1000 fine each last month.

They questioned the department's decision to fine them, though their court case was still pending.

They were in trouble when the pupil accused them of assaulting him with bare hands as a punishment for making noise in class during lessons.

One of the teachers said yesterday: "We always maintained that we were innocent and the court has proved that today.

The teachers said all they did on that day was to try and get the pupil's side of the story after a new female teacher complained that he had beaten her up.

After the alleged beating, the teacher complained and the school management barred the pupil from setting foot on the school premises until he brought his parents.

"But he refused to do so and instead came to school."

The teacher said they were trying to prevent the pupil from entering the school premises when they "accidentally" knocked him on the nose and he bled.