Mpumalanga Education MEC calls for parents to report abuse by educators

Estimated reading time: 4 minute(s)

As the country finds itself once again having to fight gender based violence, sexual assault still remains one of our country’s biggest problem.

The case which saw the country coming together with a nationwide protest is that of a 7 years old little from the Eastern Cape named Cwecwe.

This saw Mpumalanga Department of Education MEC Cathy Dlamini also urging learners, parents and educators to report any form of assault suffered at the hands of educators.

“Remaining silent or concealing such incidents undermines our collective efforts to address these serious violations. It allows perpetrators to escape accountability and inflicts further harm on the victims.”

“Together, we must create a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment for all our children,” She emphasized.

MEC Dlamini further reminded educators of their professional responsibility to uphold the highest ethical standards and to strictly adhere to the educators’ Code of Conduct. She warned that any form of harassment or misconduct towards learners will not be tolerated by the Department.

During the 2024 academic year, the Department recorded three cases of inappropriate sexual relationships and four cases of sexual assault involving learners.

MEC also emphasized that even a single case of harassment is one too many. In accordance with Section 17(1) of the Employment of Educators Act (EEA), educators can be charged with misconduct for any disgraceful, improper, or unbecoming behaviour, including acts of sexual harassment or abuse.