'Sugar daddy' teacher in court accused of assaulting pupil

A 31-year-old teacher accused of assaulting a Grade 11 pupil he was allegedly involved in a romantic relationship with‚ is appearing in court on Tuesday. The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) says he must not get bail.

“Allegations that the perpetrator had exploited his position of trust for an improper sexual relationship with the learner and had administered corporal punishment to the abused victim is a heinous act and a shocking atrocity‚” said Sanco national spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu.

The John Wesley Kosi Bay Private School teacher will be brought to court in Manguzi‚ near the Mozambique-South Africa border.

Mahlangu said that a stiff sentence will serve as a deterrent to those in the teaching profession entrusted with the responsibility to protect learners under their care.

“Corporal punishment and abuse of children by paedophiles in the education system has to be stamped out and those responsible (must) face the wrath of the law‚” he said.

He called on School Governing Bodies‚ parents and learners to help eradicate the sugar-daddy syndrome.

According to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane‚ the teacher and the pupil are alleged to have been involved in a romantic relationship‚ and are believed to have argued before the alleged assault.

Although corporal punishment was abolished in the country in terms of the Schools Act of 1996‚ it still takes place in schools‚ Mahlangu said.

As many as 1.5 million pupils across South Africa were victims of corporal punishment in 2014 alone‚ with the South African Council for Educators receiving 637 complaints of corporal punishment between April 2012 and March 2015.

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