Schools to be more guarded after sexual harassment scandal

The Gauteng Education Department is extending its investigation to other schools in Soweto after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced at a primary school in Orlando East.

MEC Panyaza Lesufi wants to revamp the vetting process of guards at schools in the province.

Last week a guard at a school in Soweto was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting 87 pupils. The principal and school management were removed from the school.

"We don't want it to be a police process alone, because police might confine themselves to police-related matters, but the school environment goes beyond [the] police environment," Lesufi said.

He said guards are not appointed by the school governing body, but form part of the national Department of Public Works' Extra School Support Programme. They are identified and vetted as candidates by the local community policing forums before being appointed for a one-year period.

Lesufi said the 58-year-old guard implicated at the Soweto school was vetted and had a clean record. The only issues that came up during the vetting process were three cases he had opened with the police against other people.

Lesufi said the department was going beyond criminal records for further background checks on the guard.