Teacher ‘lured girls, told them he’s good in bed’. Now he’s been sacked

The Gauteng education department has fired a teacher who allegedly told a 13-year-old pupil he was “good in bed and addicted to sex”.

Sibusiso Siqalaba’s scandalous relationship with four primary school girls was laid bare during an arbitration hearing conducted by the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) on November 30.

The arbitration award, which was handed down on December 11, confirmed his dismissal.

The shocking testimony of the four teenage girls from Cosmo City West Primary School in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, was revealed during the hearing which Siqalaba did not attend, despite being informed about it through a notice that was hand delivered to his last known physical address.

Emily Magadla, the labour relations officer from the Johannesburg north district, who acted on behalf of the Gauteng education department, told the hearing she also sent him a WhatsApp message which indicated it had been read and had called him on his cellphone which he did not answer. Attempts by Sunday Times Daily to reach him also failed.

Siqalaba, who had offered spiritual lessons to the girls, told them he was their spiritual father and their ancestors were connected to his, according to testimony from the hearing.

Among the charges he faced were having a sexual relationship with a pupil; sexual assault; and conducting himself in an improper, disgraceful or unacceptable manner by telling one of the girls that “she is the perfect girl for him to have” and another that he loved her.

All the incidents took place between September and November 2019.

One of the pupils, identified as “TV” to protect her real identity, testified she received a WhatsApp message from Siqalaba in which he declared his love for her.

He then told her his ancestors wanted to connect with her, and this could only happen if she had a relationship with him.

According to her testimony, he sent her a WhatsApp message telling her she had a spiritual gift and they should meet at a shop in the neighbourhood.

He then picked her up in his car and drove to a deserted area near Honeydew, where he asked her to perform an indecent act on him.

The girl said he told her to tell her mother she had been visiting a friend.

Her mother discovered her WhatsApp chats with Siqalaba and showed it to her father. After confronting Siqalaba, her parents reported the matter to the police, according to the evidence brought before the hearing.

This is a deterrent to any educator that we will not tolerate any form of sexual misconduct in our environment.

—  Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona

Another pupil, known as “AD”, who was 11 when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Siqalaba, recounted how he told them of his break-up with his wife and that he was good in bed.

In November 2019, he told her she must visit him after school.

According to the transcript of the hearing, the girl stated Siqalaba touched one of her breasts twice and compared it to another girl’s breasts.

She testified that Siqalaba told her and the other girl “he wished he could put them in a bottle and take them very far away from this corrupt world to marry them”.

The arbitrator, Themba Manganyi, stated all four witnesses “were impressive” and “their evidence was authentic and did not seem to be rehearsed”.

He said the witnesses submitted written statements sometime in January 2020, and their testimony corroborated their written statements.

“I must also state Siqalaba was privy to the learners’ statements before the arbitration. Thus, he was afforded an opportunity to challenge these statements if they were not true.”

He said the only logical inference he could draw from Siqalaba’s failure to attend the hearing was “he knew he could not succeed in rebutting such overwhelming evidence”.

Manganyi said an educator must be dismissed if he or she is found guilty of having a sexual relationship with a pupil.

“Mr Siqalaba’s employment contract with the Gauteng education department is summarily terminated.”

Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona said the department stood by its decision to dismiss Siqalaba.

“This is a deterrent to any educator that we will not tolerate any form of sexual misconduct in our environment.”