Most teachers found guilty of sexual misconduct have “double personalities”, according to research conducted by the South African Council for Educators (Sace).
A total of 19 educators were struck off from the roll indefinitely between April last year and March, most of them for sexual misconduct.
Briefing parliament on their annual report for 2021/22, Sace’s CEO Ella Mokgalane said 191 of the 764 cases reported between April last year and March involved sexual misconduct, while a further 248 cases concerned corporal punishment.
The bulk of them are males with double personalities, whom you could trust with all your heart
— Ella Mokgalane, South African Council for Educators CEO
She said that their research indicated that about 7% to 11% of female teachers were abusing younger boys. “But the bulk of them are males with double personalities, who you could trust with all your heart.”
She alluded to a case in Reiger Park in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, where a principal was involved in sexual misconduct of the food handlers, the deputy principal and pupils.
“The community was up in arms because they believed that was the best man ever that was providing for the community, only to find that he’s the opposite.”
The 19 struck off indefinitely also included Lubeko Mgandela, the former principal of Luthuthu Junior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape, who ordered a pupil in March last year to search for a lost phone that fell into a pit latrine toilet.
Mgandela was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of R4,000 in the Tsomo magistrate's court after he reportedly pleaded guilty to child abuse.
Mokgalane said school laboratories and halls, as well as offices occupied by principals and their deputies, were places where “sexual misconduct is being bred”.
“It’s also about the grooming that happens within certain subjects. For example, we all know as parents we want our children to be doing well in maths, science [and] technology. Those are the subjects where we want one-on-one support and that’s where grooming and touching starts — and it then proceeds into other areas.”
Of the 614 investigations conducted by Sace, 310 were closed because they were withdrawn or parents did not want to proceed with it, or because complainants “solved the matter with the perpetrator”.
Out of the remaining 304 cases, 86 teachers were found guilty.
Mokgalane said their target for finalising disciplinary hearings involving cases reported for the period between April last year and March was 50% but they only achieved 24%.
“Every case which gets finalised depends on substantive evidence obtained to secure a conviction. Much of the evidence required by council is the sworn testimony of child witnesses and these remained unavailable as schools remained closed.”
MP Marie Sukers said the number of cases referred to Sace “seems likely to be a drop in the ocean”, adding: “We urgently need to know how many incidents occur but are not reported. Is there any such research being planned?”
MP Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba said Sace had obtained an unqualified audit opinion, with findings that are due to inadequate performance on reporting.
“Based on what the auditor-general raised, when did Sace realise that the target could not be achieved? To what extent is Sace planning to build capacity to undertake its functions?” she asked.
She quoted comments made by disgruntled teachers over Sace’s poor service delivery. One wrote: “They are absolutely pathetic. I have registered and I am struggling to get my certificate.”
Another said: “If Sace cannot even be contacted by phone, it means it is run by the same kind of rubbish like every other state institution.”
Another teacher wrote: “Horrible, pathetic service. It’s a complete money-making pit. I have struggled for eight years to get my Sace certificate.”
Sace only managed to achieve 23 out of its 30 annual performance plan indicators.
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