DA to try amend sex offender legislation to stop teachers abusing pupils
23 August 2016
The DA in KwaZulu Natal will write to its parliamentary counterparts in a bid to tighten up legislation around sexual abuse in schools.
This will include but is not limited to ensuring that there is a mechanism for learners to report abuse so that authorities do not rely on accidental evidence such as the surfacing of sex tapes.
The move comes after a spate of sexual offences involving teachers. This includes the circulation of material last week depicting a teacher, who is a serial offender, having sex with several under age learners.
The increased number of sexual offences involving teachers is of massive concern to the DA in KZN. While we welcome the KZN Education department’s swift intervention in terms of removing affected learners in most instances, the reality is that these shocking acts would never have taken place had pupils not been exposed to sexual predators in the first place.
The DA has, for several years, been calling for a sex offenders’ roll which would be viewed before every appointment of teachers to ensure that they are kept out of our schools.
To date, the DoE has been extremely negligent when it comes to due diligence in terms of ensuring teachers have not been reported for sex offences before they are employed.
The dreadful truth is that many lives have already been ruined by the time the DoE gets involved and this is unacceptable. The blame lies squarely at their door and we expect the new MEC to take proactive measures without delay.
It is also concerning to note that despite the teacher concerned having threatened his victims since the story broke, police have not been able to determine his whereabouts via the means of communication used. The DA sincerely hopes that they are treating this matter with the seriousness that it deserves.
We will continue to pressure for changes in legislation to protect our children. We expect the ANC-led KZN Education Department to work with us in this regard.
Issued by Lauren Silen, Media Liaison to the DA in the KZN Legislature, 23 August 2016
