Teacher who had inappropriate relationship with 15-year-old pupil triggering HIV scare loses bid to keep job
The teacher, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the pupil, took the provincial education department to the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), contending she 'did not breach any rule as alleged by the employer'.
The arbitrator heard the grade 9 pupil had to undergo an HIV test and take Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), medication given to individuals at high risk of contracting the virus to prevent infection. The teacher, who taught at a high school, faced two counts.
She was accused of dishonesty when interviewed by a labour relations manager about allegations she had been involved in a sexual relationship with the minor. The teacher was charged with contravention of the Employment of Educators Act for allegedly committing statutory rape.
She argued the rule she allegedly breached was not consistently applied and she was not 'given a hearing on the alleged misconduct'. She had been teaching at the school since January 2017, earning R18,095 per month as a post-level 1 educator.
The teacher was dismissed on November 11 last year after a two-day hearing held in her absence in October. The ELRC arbitrator heard the teacher 'was not present at the hearing and it is common cause she made no attempt to apply for postponement'. She approached the ELRC for 'retrospective reinstatement'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
21 minutes ago
- TimesLIVE
Minister wants foreign offenders to serve time in countries of origin
Foreign criminals sentenced to jail time should ideally be deported to their countries of origin to serve their terms, says correctional services minister Pieter Groenewald. He hopes the home affairs department can assist with deportations of foreign offenders granted parole. His department spends R11m a day on inmates from other countries, he told parliament's correctional services portfolio committee on Tuesday. 'The South African taxpayer foots the bill for more than 24,000 foreigners in correctional facilities. Calculated at R463 per day, this results in an expense of R11,112,000 per day. 'We are exploring various solutions, including diplomatic approaches.' Anna Molepo, the department's chief deputy commissioner of community corrections, previously told the committee the number of sentenced foreigners in South African prisons was 12,676 in January 2025, which was 12.4% of the sentenced inmate population. The committee was briefed in February on the challenges the department faced, including the legal issues that affect deportation orders and the processing of foreigners. The department said it was working to ensure the Immigration Act aligns with the relevant frameworks. On Tuesday, Dereleen James, an ActionSA MP, called for accelerated deportation policies. 'Prisoners live in relative comfort while our communities are being destroyed, broken, under-resourced and forgotten,' James said. The R463 daily cost per inmate could fund 555,600 loaves of bread, enough to feed 277,800 households with two loaves each.
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
MK Party claims selective prosecution, stands by Molefe and Gama
MKP senior members and MPs Siyabonga Gama and Brian Molefe will continue their work in the National Assembly despite facing charges. Image: file The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has come out in strong support of its senior members and MPs, Brian Molefe and Siyabonga Gama, who are facing charges related to a multi-billion rand scandal involving the procurement of locomotives at Transnet. The party's national spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, questioned the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) impartiality, accusing the justice system of engaging in a "troubling pattern of retaliation" against party members who have held state institutions to account. Molefe, Gama, and two other former Transnet executives, Anoj Singh and Thamsanqa Jiyane, were arrested and released on bail of R50,000 each on Monday. Ndhlela said the party would not be silenced or intimidated by the charges against its members. "The continued attacks on their character and professional integrity are not isolated incidents: they are part of a systemic purge targeting those who dare to challenge the status quo," he said. The MK Party has consistently called for accountability within state-owned enterprises and institutions like the NPA, which must be held to the highest standards of integrity. However, Ndhlela claims that when the party raises legitimate questions about institutional bias and political capture, the response is swift and punitive. "We reject the notion that these arrests are rooted in a genuine pursuit of justice. Instead, they are part of a broader, deeply troubling campaign that seeks to intimidate and criminalize black professionals, intellectuals, and revolutionaries, particularly those associated with the MK Party," Ndhlela said. 'It is increasingly evident that when the MK Party challenges institutions captured or influenced by narrow political interests, our members become targets,' he said. Ndhlela further said the two members would continue to be the party's MP's until further notice. 'These charges reek of nothing else, but you know, a political agenda. So, we're not going to now, all of a sudden, purge our people and our members on the basis of, you know, cases or should we say charges that are brought to them on the basis of, you know, something that transpired when there was the Transnet and so on so forth. So, let's await the court process to unfold and we said we respect the rule of law. Let's allow the process to unfold and we take it from there,' Ndhlela reportedly said. Molefe, Gama, Singh and Jiyane, face 32 charges, including fraud, corruption, and violations of the Public Finance Management Act and the Companies Act. According to the charge sheet, the four executives allegedly conspired to favor the Chinese Rail Corporation (CRC) in the procurement of locomotives, resulting in inflated costs of at least R18 billion. The four executives are set to face trial in October 2025. If convicted, they could face significant penalties, including imprisonment and fines. The trial will determine whether the four executives are guilty of the charges against them, which include dereliction of corporate and constitutional duty, fraud, and corruption. Molefe faces 10 charges, Gama six charges, and Jiyane three charges, while Singh faces 13 charges. They are all accused of benefiting from bribes during their tenure as Transnet officials.
Eyewitness News
an hour ago
- Eyewitness News
Groenewald suggests corporal punishment be revisited to alleviate overcrowding in prisons
CAPE TOWN - Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald has suggested corporal punishment be revisited to alleviate overcrowding in prisons by those who can't afford to pay the minimum amount of bail. The practice was outlawed in prisons in 1996 by an act of Parliament. However, delivering his budget vote in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Groenewald said overcrowding remains a challenge, exacerbated by those who can't afford to pay small amounts of bail. But despite the limited accommodation, Groenewald has vowed to enforce his strict stance on parole, particularly for those sentenced to life in prison. Groenewald said after a year at the helm of Correctional Services, he's not about to sugarcoat the myriad problems faced in managing the country's prisons. Chief among these is overcrowding, with over 60,000 accused persons waiting to stand trial, while over 2,000 of them can't afford a bail of under R1,000. 'We must start a debate to say: shouldn't we bring back corporal punishment?' Groenewald said completing all rehabilitation courses is not a guarantee of being granted parole, particularly for those serving a life sentence. 'When I receive a psychological report or a criminologist report and the risk of re-offending is medium to high, I will not approve any parole for that specific case.' The minister added that he's looking at ways of sending foreign nationals back to their countries of origin to serve their prison sentences, while immediately deporting those who are freed upon completing their sentences.
