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IOL News
4 days ago
- IOL News
Principal allegedly shielded accused sex pest teacher, court reveals
The principal of Harvester Primary School is under investigation after she allegedly obstructed and defeated the ends of justice. Image: Supplied The principal of Harvester Primary School is under investigation after she allegedly obstructed and defeated the ends of justice following the arrest of a former teacher for sexual grooming of a child and exposing a child to explicit material. Police spokesperson, FC van Wyk, said: 'This office can confirm that a criminal case docket is being investigated in which the school principal is the subject. The charges as outlined by the Directorate of Public Prosecution are obstructing and defeating the ends of justice and contravention of Section 54 of Sexual Offences Act 32 of 2007 - failing to report that a child is a victim of sexual offence.' The investigation follows after the 35-year-old former Grade R teacher was caught after she allegedly sent an explicit video of herself to a Grade 7 learner. She is currently appearing in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate's Court on charges of sexual grooming of a child and exposing a child to explicit material. The court previously heard a testimony from the investigating officer in the case, Warrant Officer Roland Peters, who said the case was reported to Lentegeur police station on June 9. The court heard that he went to the school on June 10, when the principal allegedly said she was made aware of the allegations by a concerned parent of an explicit dirty video sent by the teacher on June 4. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Peters said the principal went to the house of the victim on June 6 to collect the cellphone to gather evidence on the allegations, however, the court heard that she did not report the matter to SAPS but rather the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). Peters said she told him she felt it was not her responsibility to report it to the police as she had already informed the WCED. The court heard that on June 12, Peters returned to the school and informed the principal that they were going to arrest the teacher; however, she informed them that the teacher was doing administration work at the WCED regional offices. She then informed police officials to meet her at the WCED regional offices. Peters said: 'We waited for a half an hour and the principal did not arrive. We then entered the building and we spoke to the manager who informed us that he had just returned back from dropping off the [teacher] at a family member's house in Strandfontein. He was given information by the principal to remove [the teacher] from the premises as there was protest action… From there we proceeded to the Strandfontein address, but did not find the teacher.' The court heard that police officials were given an address in Athlone where they found the accused at her home and arrested her. The matter against the principal is still under investigation while the teacher is awaiting her bid for bail. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
IOL News
03-07-2025
- IOL News
Pressure mounts for Principal charges in Harvester Primary School teacher scandal
A Harvester Primary School teacher faces charges of sexual grooming and exposing a learner to explicit material. Image: Kim Swartz/Independent Newspapers As parents for Equal Education question whether the Harvester Primary School principal will be among more people charged in the case of the teacher accused of sending explicit videos to a Grade 7 learner, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said all protocol has been followed. The former Grade R teacher, who resigned when the scandal broke, is expected to make her next appearance in the Mitchell's Plain Magistrate's Court on Thursday for her formal bail application. She faces charges of sexual grooming of a child and exposing a child to explicit material Vanessa le Roux, from Parents For Equal Education, said they questioned why the principal did not face charges. 'Why is the principal not arrested yet? 'The DPP (Directorate of Public Prosecution) initiated the charges after obtaining statements from the mother, grandmother, and principal. 'The DPP initiated charges against the principal, and the charge is defeating the ends of justice. "While on the phone with the investigating officer (last Thursday) morning, he explained to me that they are still waiting for the docket to come back from the prosecutor. 'This also exposes the lies of the WCED, when they say the principal did what she was supposed to do. 'The only duty on her was reporting the matter to SAPS and the WCED. "She is not a police woman, what business did she have getting into her car, and demanding the victim's cellphone. 'We are not playing about the lives of our children anymore, no one is above the law, even if I have to elevate that question to a national level.' But Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the WCED, said protocol was followed. 'We are aware of the allegations made by Ms Le Roux, which the principal denies and the police are investigating,' she said. 'An affidavit detailing the exact timelines and the processes followed has been sent to the South African Police. 'Sadly, there have been many false facts communicated by various parties in this case. We therefore wait on SAPS to complete their processes before jumping to any conclusions or making potentially libelous statements in public. 'We cannot comment further at this point.' The Department of Justice said it was for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to comment on while the NPA said it was a police matter. Earlier, the investigating officer took the witness stand during the bail application where he informed the court of how the teacher allegedly instigated conversations on TikTok with the 13-year-old learner. It was also further revealed that prior to allegedly sending the learner an explicit video of herself, she requested him to send a video of himself. He sent one in return of himself and his younger brother playing video games. The detective also testified that when the accused realised that she had sent the video and could lose her job, she asked the boy to delete it and that he asked her for a R500 for it to be erased. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
IOL News
20-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
WCED accused of spinning infrastructure woes into a success story
The WCED announced an infrastructure rollout to meet growing learner demand, but critics cite teacher cuts and inequality. Image: File THE 19% enrolment growth in public schools between 2015 and 2024 placed pressure on school infrastructure and staffing resources, says the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). To address the demand driven partly by in-migration from other provinces, the WCED said it was ramping up infrastructure investment. Speaking during a meeting of the Provincial Parliament's Standing Committee on Education this week, WCED officials said the province recorded a 2.3% average increase of enrolment in public schools annually. The department currently serves more than 1.3 million learners across 1,887 schools. In response to infrastructure demand, the WCED has launched its Rapid School Build Programme, with a hope to deliver 26 new school projects over the next three years. According to the department, a further 290 new classrooms and 21 Grade R classrooms are also planned for the same period. The department said 59 school maintenance projects are currently under construction for the 2025/26 financial year, with an additional 26 projects in planning. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Leon van Wyk, DA Western Cape spokesperson on education, said the department had maintained discipline in budget allocation despite rising costs. 'From 2022 to 2025, the WCED has kept employee compensation at a sustainable 71% to 72% of its budget — the lowest among major provinces,' said Van Wyk. 'This has allowed us to invest more in critical services like textbooks, learner transport, nutrition programmes, and infrastructure.' Van Wyk contrasted this with other provinces, stating that KwaZulu-Natal had spent over 83% of its education budget on salaries over four consecutive years, leaving less for other education needs. 'To ensure every learner has a seat in a safe, functional classroom, we must continue to prioritise infrastructure spending. It's not optional — it's essential.' However, ANC Western Cape leader of the opposition, Khalid Sayed, said the DA's narrative 'attempts to spin the Western Cape Education Department's infrastructure crisis into a success story'. In a statement, Sayed said: 'The WCED has had more than enough time to plan for the enrollment increase. Instead, what we have seen is delayed school builds, under-resourced township and rural schools, and an overreliance on rapid or modular builds.' Social service and educational organisation, Ilitha Labantu, also raised concerns about staffing reductions. The organisation cited figures from the WCED indicating that 2,407 teacher posts had been cut across the province as of January. These cuts took place in the context of a R3.8 billion projected shortfall in the education budget over the next three years. According to Ilitha Labantu, nearly 70% of the schools affected by the staff reductions were no-fee schools that serve township and vulnerable communities, meaning. Schools in areas such as Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain reported class sizes exceeding 50 learners per teacher. In a statement, Ilitha Labantu said: 'While the department promotes LED lighting, fencing upgrades, and solar installations at some schools, learners in township communities continue to endure unsafe, overcrowded, and dilapidated school infrastructure.' Ilitha Labantu cited recent incidents, including the abduction and rape of a 14-year-old learner in Langa, and the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old learner from Samora Machel while walking to school, as examples of the vulnerability learners face. Both the ANC and Ilitha Labantu called for the WCED to release a detailed breakdown of infrastructure and staffing backlogs by district. CAPE TIMES
IOL News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
WCED's infrastructure plans face criticism over teacher cuts and inequality
The WCED announced an infrastructure rollout to meet growing learner demand, but critics cite teacher cuts and inequality. Image: File The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said it was ramping up infrastructure investment to address growing learner numbers and financial constraints, as enrolment across provincial schools continues to rise. Speaking during a meeting of the Provincial Parliament's Standing Committee on Education this week, WCED officials said enrolment in public schools grew by 19% between 2015 and 2024, with an average annual increase of 2.3%. The department currently serves more than 1.3 million learners across 1,887 schools. According to the WCED, the increase in enrolment has been driven largely by in-migration from other provinces. Department officials said the growth had placed pressure on school infrastructure and staffing resources. Leon van Wyk, DA Western Cape spokesperson on education, said the department had maintained discipline in budget allocation despite rising costs. 'From 2022 to 2025, the WCED has kept employee compensation at a sustainable 71% to 72% of its budget — the lowest among major provinces,' said Van Wyk. 'This has allowed us to invest more in critical services like textbooks, learner transport, nutrition programmes, and infrastructure.' Van Wyk contrasted this with other provinces, stating that KwaZulu-Natal had spent over 83% of its education budget on salaries over four consecutive years, leaving less for other education needs. He said: 'To ensure every learner has a seat in a safe, functional classroom, we must continue to prioritise infrastructure spending. It's not optional — it's essential.' In response to infrastructure demand, the WCED has launched its Rapid School Build Programme, which is expected to deliver 26 new school projects over the next three years. According to the department, a further 290 new classrooms and 21 Grade R classrooms are also planned for the same period. The department said 59 school maintenance projects are currently under construction for the 2025/26 financial year, with an additional 26 projects in planning. Since 2021, the WCED has implemented LED lighting upgrades at 167 schools, installed solar PV systems at 91 schools, and completed fencing improvements at 167 schools. Van Wyk said the department's decisions were based on long-term planning and data, aimed at improving education infrastructure while keeping the system financially sustainable. However, ANC Western Cape leader of the opposition, Khalid Sayed, criticised the department's approach. In a statement, he said the DA's narrative 'attempts to spin the Western Cape Education Department's infrastructure crisis into a success story'. Sayed said: 'The WCED has had more than enough time to plan for the enrolment increase. Instead, what we have seen is delayed school builds, under-resourced township and rural schools, and an overreliance on rapid or modular builds.' He expressed concern over the department's budget focus, saying that the containment of wage costs resulted in fewer teachers and larger class sizes. Social service and educational organisation, Ilitha Labantu, also raised concerns about staffing reductions. The organisation cited figures from the WCED indicating that 2,407 teacher posts had been cut across the province as of January 1, 2025. It said these cuts took place in the context of a R3.8 billion projected shortfall in the education budget over the next three years. According to Ilitha Labantu, nearly 70% of the schools affected by the staff reductions were no-fee schools that serve township and vulnerable communities. The organisation said schools in areas such as Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain reported class sizes exceeding 50 learners per teacher. In a statement, Ilitha Labantu said: 'While the department promotes LED lighting, fencing upgrades, and solar installations at some schools, learners in township communities continue to endure unsafe, overcrowded, and dilapidated school infrastructure.' The organisation also raised safety concerns. It said school audits and public education monitoring had revealed that more than half of under-resourced schools in the province had experienced vandalism or theft, and only 47% had effective perimeter fencing. Ilitha Labantu cited recent incidents, including the abduction and rape of a 14-year-old learner in Langa, and the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old learner from Samora Machel while walking to school, as examples of the vulnerability learners face. Both the ANC and Ilitha Labantu called for the WCED to release a detailed breakdown of infrastructure and staffing backlogs by district. They also called for increased funding from the Department of Basic Education and the National Treasury to support staffing, infrastructure, and school safety in disadvantaged areas. [email protected]
IOL News
16-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Deadline approaches for Western Cape parents on school choices for Grades R, 1, or 8
Education MEC David Maynier with Timour Hall Primary School's Grade 1 pupils on their first day of primary school. Image: Supplied Western Cape parents who have received more than one offer for their child in Grade R, 1 or 8 in 2026 have until Tuesday, 17 June, to confirm their school of choice. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said that parents who have been offered a place for their child must confirm their choice of school by 17 June 2025, and after tomorrow, their highest-ranked choice of school will be automatically confirmed. The WCED had previously said that over 44,000 learners have been accepted to more than one school, allowing for additional places to open up for other learners who have not received successful applications at schools, or at their school of choice. 'We call these 'double parkers'. Once these 'double parked' learners are confirmed to a specific school, the places at the other schools can be offered to other learners.' On Sunday, Education MEC David Maynier said: 'After Tuesday, the online admissions system will auto-confirm their top-ranked choice of school, freeing up thousands of remaining places for other parents. 'Schools will continue to fill remaining places until the end of July.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading While the online admissions system is now closed for Grade R, 1 and 8 applications, parents can still apply for 2026 by applying either at one of the WCED's Education District offices or at a school. The schools can capture an application; however, this does not confirm acceptance. On Monday, Maynier's spokesperson, Kerry Mauchline, said that the number of learner applications they are currently dealing with is 57,000 for Grade R, 24,000 for Grade 1, and 93,000 for Grade 8. The WCED explained that there will be learners who are not successful in getting placed during this initial phase. 'We know that this is extremely stressful and disappointing, but we appeal to parents to bear in mind that we are still very early in the admissions process, and thousands of places will still open up once 'double parkers' accept their school.' Parents have been advised to stay in touch with the schools they applied to and to request that the learner be placed on a waiting list. 'While the wait is stressful, there will be many shifts within the system as parents confirm and decline places. This happens over the next few months or so as schools finalise their admissions lists. If parents still do not have a place for their child later this year, the department will assist them with placement options.' Parents can please call 0861 819 919 for further advice if required. Parents will be able to check their outcomes at:
