A school is meant to be a safe haven for pupils, a place of protection and learning. But for a 15-year-old Grade 10 pupil in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, it became a place of betrayal when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by her teacher and his friends at a hotel.
Seven years later, the family of the now 22-year-old woman said her life has never been the same. She was allegedly infected with HIV, leaving lasting physical and emotional scars.
For her own safety, she cannot be named, but she is among the many Eastern Cape pupils who endured abuse at the hands of their teachers.
Research conducted during the development of the National School Safety Framework (NSSF) found that pupils often receive mixed and conflicting messages about violence, including from educators and principals themselves.
The South African Council for Educators (SACE) reported 110 cases of sexual assault involving teachers in the 2023/24 financial year.
Last week, former pupils from the Eastern Cape took to social media, posting photographs of teachers they accused of sexual violations. They alleged that some pupils were impregnated by their teachers and forced to terminate the pregnancies.
In Idutywa, hundreds of people marched to one of the implicated schools to raise awareness about teachers sexually violating pupils. One teacher, accused of repeatedly assaulting and impregnating pupils, allegedly died last week.
One survivor said: “I was a young girl from a poor family. I remember one day in the computer lab, one of the teachers tried to kiss me, but I managed to push him away. Most pupils knew there were teachers who were sleeping with young girls,” she said.
Despite excelling in matric, she felt unable to confide in her mother.
“My mother was very strict, so I couldn’t tell her. But I warned my younger sisters to be careful when they enrolled in Grade 10. The school had a boarding hostel, and it was the norm that if you didn’t pay fees, you didn’t get food,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
At one point, when her mother could no longer afford the hostel fees for her siblings, she approached a teacher she believed might be able to help, knowing her sister was excelling in accounting. But instead of offering support, he preyed on her.
“The teacher agreed to assist and told my sister to meet him in town. From there, he took her to his house and gave her a glass of juice, which we suspect was drugged because my sister woke up the following day naked with the teacher sleeping next to her. He told her that she was now his girlfriend because they slept together.”
She said it did not end there as he took her to a hotel in Mthatha, where he kept her against her will for a week. The girl was allegedly gang raped by the teacher and his friends.
It has been seven years since the incident, and my sister has never been the same. She drinks heavily and refuses to take her ARVs, saying there is no point because she is going to die anyway.
— Sister
The siblings eventually confided in their mother, but instead of offering comfort or support, she blamed them for “misbehaving”. With nowhere else to turn, they decided to bury the matter, despite the deep wounds it had left.
“It has been seven years since the incident, and my sister has never been the same. She drinks heavily and refuses to take her ARVs, saying there is no point because she is going to die anyway,” her sister said.
She added that she draws strength from seeing former pupils now speaking out publicly about the abuse they suffered at the hands of male teachers.
“I’m glad others are coming forward. It shows we were not alone, and maybe this time something will finally be done,” she said.
The Eastern Cape department of education confirmed that one of the accused teachers died, allegedly by suicide, last week.
Barriers to pupils speaking out
Pila-sande Mkuzo, an attorney from the Equal Education Law Centre, said one of the major barriers preventing pupils from coming forward with cases of sexual violence was their fear of facing negative repercussions.
“Victims of sexual violence tend to experience hostility and animosity after reporting. Many end up leaving school for long periods, changing schools, or dropping out entirely,” Mkuzo said.
She added that practices such as expelling pregnant pupils in an attempt to conceal their condition were among the ways that schools abused systems and processes.
According to research by the University of Cape Town’s Children’s Institute, early childhood experiences of sexual violence and other forms of abuse could have cumulative, long-lasting and devastating effects later in life, both personally and socially.
“Children are at increased risk of violence over time. Sexual violence can start early in the home, but the risk rises once they enter school. Disclosure often happens when a child can confide in someone they trust,” the research stated.
The report also noted that underreporting of sexual violence among children remained a significant problem.
“Younger children often lack the capacity to report. Others are silenced by fear of reprisals, not being believed, or being blamed and punished,” the report said.
Systemic accountability and failures
Mkuzo said the South African constitution was clear about the obligation to protect children from violence and ensure their right to basic education.
“This means provincial departments of education, districts, schools and school governing bodies all share responsibility and are implicated when they fail to effectively prevent or respond to sexual violence in schools,” she said.
She emphasised that South Africa is not lacking in legislation or policy.
“The issue is not the absence of laws, but the lack of implementation and compliance. Schools are often unaware of new policies, lack training and support, or show little political will to hold perpetrators accountable. In many cases, there is simply no incentive to enforce the law,” she added.
Policy gaps and culture of impunity
Mkuzo said the inadequacy of structures to ensure teacher accountability was one of the most critical causes of continued abuse.
“Educators who sexually abuse pupils often do not face meaningful consequences. Government actors and institutions are also rarely held responsible for failing to prevent and respond to abuse,” she said.
She added that one of the most alarming realities is the practice of implicated educators resigning from their posts to avoid investigation or punishment, only to take up new teaching positions at other schools, districts, or provinces. “And so the cycle continues,” Mkuzo warned.
The Eastern Cape government has established a multidisciplinary team to investigate complaints following disturbing reports of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and victimisation of pupils in the schools in the province.
Eastern Cape education MEC Fundile Gade said government will not hesitate to act against the perpetrators. “We are strengthening measures to ensure learners have the support they need to speak out without fear. Protecting our children is not negotiable; it is our collective duty,” he said.
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