The Democratic Alliance (DA) has expressed its concern over the lack of action taken by the South African Council of Educators (Sace) in response to a rising number of reported cases of sexual misconduct.
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According to the party, 191 such cases were reported to Sace in the 2021/22 period, a significant increase from 92 in 2019/20 and 169 in 2020/21. Despite this, only 23 disciplinary proceedings were instituted and a mere four educators were struck off the roll.
The DA has called for urgent action to address this worrying trend and ensure that perpetrators of sexual misconduct in the education sector are held accountable for their actions.
The party thinks that Sace’s lack of action sends the wrong message to victims and might deter them from reporting sexual misconduct in the future.
The DA has urged Sace to take a more proactive approach in investigating and disciplining educators who engage in such behaviour and to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that justice is served.
As reported by TimesLive, these figures were revealed by the Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, as a response to a written parliamentary question by the DA.
‘Given the 199 school days last year, that’s almost one case of sexual misconduct a day reported to Sace,’ the party’s shadow deputy for basic education minister Desiree van der Walt said.
According to the Democratic Alliance (DA), the recently released 2022 crime statistics have revealed a concerning number of reported rape cases that occurred on the premises of educational institutions, such as schools, universities, colleges and daycare facilities. The statistics indicate that 294 such incidents were reported, underscoring the urgent need for action to address this serious issue.
‘The DA finds it very concerning that Sace only instituted 23 disciplinary proceedings last year — a mere 12% of the reported cases of sexual misconduct. Of these, 19 educators were found guilty of sexual misconduct, yet only four were struck off the roll indefinitely.’
Van der Walt said Sace indicated that some cases were closed due to insufficient evidence to support the allegations, the unavailability of complainants to aid in the investigation or disciplinary process, and uncooperative witnesses.
‘The complainants’ reluctance to cooperate with Sace in investigating and disciplining their alleged abusers indicates a perceived bias against the victims of abuse.’
‘Sace must take responsibility for this perception and ensure that disciplinary hearings are environments where alleged victims and witnesses feel safe, are protected from further trauma, and where evidence and testimony from both parties are examined in an objective and sensitive manner,’ Van der Walt said.
In a nation where sexual offences continue to increase, Van der Walt emphasised the importance of schools as secure environments where learners, teachers and personnel can concentrate solely on achieving high-quality education.
Van der Walt said, ‘In holding abusers to account, Sace plays a crucial role in creating a safe environment. The council must ensure that victims of sexual abuse are protected when reporting these crimes and that guilty abusers suffer the consequences for their heinous actions.’
Sace is yet to issue a response to the allegations made by the DA.
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