A high school pupil shaved her head bald to make herself unattractive to her male teachers who were making sexual advances towards her, but to no avail.
These are some of the serious allegations made against two teachers at an Eastern Cape high school who are facing criminal investigation for sexual harassment as well as an internal investigation by the provincial education department.
The Dispatch understand that two parents, including the parents of the girl who shaved her head, allegedly in anticipation of more harassment in the new academic year, approached child activist Petros Majola and the SAPS.
WhatsApp messages seen by the Dispatch show a statement from one of the pupils, who has since opened a case with the police, saying that the sexual advances by one of the teachers had escalated to the point where he allegedly grabbed her bottom on school premises and further punished her at school for failing to agree to a visit to his home.
Police have also confirmed they are investigating the matter after a case was opened with the police on Saturday two weeks ago after one of the parents discovered the alleged sexual advances against his daughter.
The two complainants are aged 17 and 20.
Their pleas have also received attention from the department of education when well-known activist Majola wrote to the department of education and the police in the province, alerting them to the case.
Copies of the statement by one of the pupils which have been authenticated by her parent, show alleged serious acts of sexual harassment and possible sexual assault.
In one instance, the pupil alleged that a teacher at her school, after having offered her a lift, locked his car when it was time for her to get out, propositioned her and tried to kiss her.
In another instance, the teacher allegedly tried to persuade her to sleep over at his home and when this did not happen, she was punished by him the next day at school.
“Last year, he continued from where he left in 2021, still asking for my number and asking me out. It even got to a point where he wasn’t even asking me, but forcing me.
“I remember during lesson time on Saturday I asked in class to go and get water, and he came by and grabbed my bum on his way to the toilets and nothing happened,” she wrote.
She wrote that a second teacher had made similar sexual advances, including grabbing her bottom in the school’s staffroom.
“The staffroom was so packed that when he was squeezing between learners he passed by me and grabbed my bum.
“He made a funny facial expressions when he saw me biting my lip, winked at me and smiled in a way that I feel so uncomfortable with,” she wrote.
The teacher allegedly told the pupil that she was “ripe and ready for him” in isiXhosa.
“Wathi ndivuthiwe uyandibona ndi ready and ndimlungele and I was left confused because unomntwana oyintombazana omdala na apha kum.
“He has a daughter even older than me,” she wrote.
The father of the pupil, speaking to the Dispatch last week, said he noticed something was wrong with her when she decided to cut her hair off.
When asked, the father said, she told him she wanted to make herself “unattractive” to the teachers but that did not help.
Education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima confirmed that a team from the offices had been sent to investigate the matter.
The team was dispatched on Monday last week and has sent the province a preliminary report.
They are expected to continue with the investigation.
Police spokesperson Warrant Office Majola Nkohli said police were aware of the case and had completed their investigations in the matter and sent it to the National Prosecution Authority for a decision.
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