Everson Luhanga
A high school teacher has been accused of trying to lure a learner into his bedroom for “mathematics lessons.”
The male teacher also allegedly sent inappropriate texts to the female grade 11 learner requesting sexual favors, as well as offering the learner money.
Leaked screenshots and voice note messages from the teacher at Eastbank High School in Alexandra, Johannesburg brought learning and teaching to a standstill on Friday.
Learners, parents, the school’s governing body and local residents have called for the teacher to be fired immediately.
Cosas deputy chairperson Nthabiseng Molele, who is a learner in the same class as the victim, told Scrolla.Africa that her classmate came to her complaining about the behaviour of the teacher.
“She showed me messages from the teacher. They were inappropriate texts from an old man who is older than her father, asking sexual favours from a grade 11 learner.”
Nthabiseng said she reported the matter to the school’s head teacher on Thursday, who allegedly tried to suppress the incident. “They wanted the school to run normally while one of our own has been violated,” she said.
“The school didn’t even report the incident to the police. Police came in after we started with the protest and disrupting the running of the school,” she said.
She said the victim revealed to her that she sometimes missed classes because she was afraid of the teacher who had been pressuring her to submit to his requests.
Steve Mabona, spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), said they are aware of the alleged case of sexual harassment of a learner by an educator at Eastbank High School in Alexandra.
“We are also aware of the subsequent disruption to schooling in the area due to the allegations against the teacher.
“As a Department, we take the safety of all our learners very seriously and confirm that the matter has already been referred to our Dispute Management Unit for necessary processes to be taken. We have also met with the parents of the learner today to offer our support,” said Mabona.
