Pupils who have come forward to reveal that they too were victims of the rogue teacher who filmed himself having sex with a pregnant pupil will have bodyguards after they received death threats - allegedly from the man.
KwaZulu-Natal education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwana told Sowetan yesterday four of six pupils who reported they had sex with the suspended teacher have been put in a place of safety following the death threats.
"It is imperative as a department to keep them safe until the perpetrator is found and the investigation is completed. They will continue attending school under the supervision of bodyguards," Dlungwana said.
The 45-year-old teacher from Ekucabangeni Secondary School in Nquthu village, northern KwaZulu-Natal, made headlines last week after a video of him having sex with a 17-year-old pupil in his cottage went viral on social media.
He was suspended on Thursday after the video, which he allegedly recorded of himself having sex with a five-months pregnant pupil, was leaked on social media.
This was not the only video featuring the teacher in a compromising position with a pupil.
Other girls have come forward to report incidents after the department opened an investigation.
The victim on the video admitted to Sowetan that she and the teacher had been in a relationship since December, but she declined to confirm whether she was impregnated by the teacher.
The suspended teacher is accused of abusing as many as six pupils, believed to be aged between 14 and 17, and of recording some of the incidents.
Three other male teachers are facing a probe after it emerged that they too were having sex with pupils.
Dlungwana accused the teacher of intimidating the girls who had testified: "On Friday, these pupils received death threats from the perpetrator using a private number. He had told them that if ever they told investigators about him, they will be dead in a few days. He threatened to hunt them down and separate their heads from their bodies."
He said the investigation was under way and he was expecting a report by the end of the week on the other teachers implicated in the scandal.
According to the department's policy, teachers who have sex with under-aged pupils should be charged with statutory rape.
After seeing the sex video, pupils went on the rampage and vandalised the cottage where the alleged incident took place.
They also demanded that the teacher not be allowed onto the school premises.
Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said police were still looking for the teacher and urged the public to assist with information that would lead to his arrest.
"Police are investigating rape and assault cases. We're working with the provincial education department to uncover more incidents," he said.
Second sex video of teacher found
The teacher on the run from authorities after a video of him having sex with a pregnant teenager surfaced was allegedly fired from another school after being caught bonking a 14-year-old in a classroom.
A video of this incident emerged at the weekend.
In this video, the 45-year-old man is seen fondling the teenager in the classroom before having sex with her.
It alleged that the teacher, who is from Msinga near Pietermaritzburg, was subsequently suspended from the school before landing a job at Ekucabangeni Secondary School in Nquthu, northern KwaZulu-Natal, where he is alleged to have had sex with young girls.
The teacher cannot be named because he will face rape charges and is yet to appear in court.
The teacher taught life orientation and coordinated the school choir.
It also emerged at the weekend that the teacher also used social media to lure young pupils.
On his Facebook page, the teacher shares photos of bare-breasted young girls who are allegedly pupils at the school.
In one of his Facebook posts he writes: "Namhlanje liyawa iphenti (today the panty will go down) .
"zibanjwa zisengamaphuphu ngoba uma sezindala ziyabaleka (catch them while they are young because when they grow the will fly)."
The man allegedly used a school cottage to perform the sexual acts on his victims.
After a steamy video of the teacher having sex with a pregnant 17-year-old Grade 11 pupil surfaced, angry parents and pupils burnt the cottage.
It is claimed that when his belongings were searched a cellphone memory card was discovered that contained naked photographs of school pupils.
"We did find a memory card which has nude pictures of young girls and we will be handing it to the authorities for the purpose of the investigation.
"We suspect that the teacher stored all his devilish acts in the memory card and we know that there are more teachers involved in these despicable deeds," said school governing body member Sithembiso Sibisi said:
Sibisi said about eight girls between the ages of 14 and 16 have since come forward.
They all allege that they had been raped by the teacher.
newsdesk@sowetan.co.za
Abused schoolgirls get death threats
Pupils who have come forward to reveal that they too were victims of the rogue teacher who filmed himself having sex with a pregnant pupil will have bodyguards after they received death threats - allegedly from the man.
KwaZulu-Natal education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwana told Sowetan yesterday four of six pupils who reported they had sex with the suspended teacher have been put in a place of safety following the death threats.
"It is imperative as a department to keep them safe until the perpetrator is found and the investigation is completed. They will continue attending school under the supervision of bodyguards," Dlungwana said.
The 45-year-old teacher from Ekucabangeni Secondary School in Nquthu village, northern KwaZulu-Natal, made headlines last week after a video of him having sex with a 17-year-old pupil in his cottage went viral on social media.
He was suspended on Thursday after the video, which he allegedly recorded of himself having sex with a five-months pregnant pupil, was leaked on social media.
This was not the only video featuring the teacher in a compromising position with a pupil.
Other girls have come forward to report incidents after the department opened an investigation.
The victim on the video admitted to Sowetan that she and the teacher had been in a relationship since December, but she declined to confirm whether she was impregnated by the teacher.
The suspended teacher is accused of abusing as many as six pupils, believed to be aged between 14 and 17, and of recording some of the incidents.
Three other male teachers are facing a probe after it emerged that they too were having sex with pupils.
Dlungwana accused the teacher of intimidating the girls who had testified: "On Friday, these pupils received death threats from the perpetrator using a private number. He had told them that if ever they told investigators about him, they will be dead in a few days. He threatened to hunt them down and separate their heads from their bodies."
He said the investigation was under way and he was expecting a report by the end of the week on the other teachers implicated in the scandal.
According to the department's policy, teachers who have sex with under-aged pupils should be charged with statutory rape.
After seeing the sex video, pupils went on the rampage and vandalised the cottage where the alleged incident took place.
They also demanded that the teacher not be allowed onto the school premises.
Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said police were still looking for the teacher and urged the public to assist with information that would lead to his arrest.
"Police are investigating rape and assault cases. We're working with the provincial education department to uncover more incidents," he said.
Second sex video of teacher found
The teacher on the run from authorities after a video of him having sex with a pregnant teenager surfaced was allegedly fired from another school after being caught bonking a 14-year-old in a classroom.
A video of this incident emerged at the weekend.
In this video, the 45-year-old man is seen fondling the teenager in the classroom before having sex with her.
It alleged that the teacher, who is from Msinga near Pietermaritzburg, was subsequently suspended from the school before landing a job at Ekucabangeni Secondary School in Nquthu, northern KwaZulu-Natal, where he is alleged to have had sex with young girls.
The teacher cannot be named because he will face rape charges and is yet to appear in court.
The teacher taught life orientation and coordinated the school choir.
It also emerged at the weekend that the teacher also used social media to lure young pupils.
On his Facebook page, the teacher shares photos of bare-breasted young girls who are allegedly pupils at the school.
In one of his Facebook posts he writes: "Namhlanje liyawa iphenti (today the panty will go down) .
"zibanjwa zisengamaphuphu ngoba uma sezindala ziyabaleka (catch them while they are young because when they grow the will fly)."
The man allegedly used a school cottage to perform the sexual acts on his victims.
After a steamy video of the teacher having sex with a pregnant 17-year-old Grade 11 pupil surfaced, angry parents and pupils burnt the cottage.
It is claimed that when his belongings were searched a cellphone memory card was discovered that contained naked photographs of school pupils.
"We did find a memory card which has nude pictures of young girls and we will be handing it to the authorities for the purpose of the investigation.
"We suspect that the teacher stored all his devilish acts in the memory card and we know that there are more teachers involved in these despicable deeds," said school governing body member Sithembiso Sibisi said:
Sibisi said about eight girls between the ages of 14 and 16 have since come forward.
They all allege that they had been raped by the teacher.
newsdesk@sowetan.co.za