Eastern Cape launches audit of independent schools after alleged rape of girl, 7
This after the alleged rape of a seven-year-old girl at an independent school in Matatiele.
The department described the incident as a 'wake-up call' for provincial education authorities.
Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade says an audit of all independent schools in the province has begun, following the alleged rape of a seven-year-old girl at an independent school in Matatiele.
The incident, believed to have taken place in October, surfaced on social media in late March, prompting Gade to write to Bergview College to revoke the school's registration certificate - an action he quickly rescinded - after the school approached the Eastern Cape High Court in Makhanda to challenge the decision.
In a media briefing at the department's Mandla Makupula Leadership Institute offices in East London on Thursday, he said the alleged rape was an 'eye-opener' for the provincial government.
'That is why we established an inter-ministerial committee led by Safety MEC (Xolile Nqatha) in the province and (Police) Minister Senzo Mchunu at national level,' Gade added.
The Eastern Cape has 309 independent schools of which the provincial education department subsidises 117.
The department's deputy director general for institutional operations and management, Thembani Mtyida, said the incident in Matatiele was a 'wake-up' call.
'We need to strengthen the monitoring systems of all operations at independent schools. The department has established multidisciplinary teams to visit each independent school for compliance.'
Mtyida added:
Our approach is to target those schools that receive [subsidies] from the department, which are 117 in total. We have completed the process of auditing them. In the next week, we will start with the next phase where the rest of the 192 [independent schools] will also be visited.
He said issues like pupils' safety, infrastructure, police compliance, curriculum implementation and staff vetting form part of the auditing process.
Gade added he still believed the decision to write to Bergview College to revoke its registration was needed at the time.
'We don't have regrets. We are still firm that we were correct. We wanted the school to take actions regarding the incident,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
2 hours ago
- News24
Sergeant Mtshweni murder: 2 suspects killed in shootout, one kills himself as cops close in
As the SA Police and Royal Eswatini Police Services were about to arrest three men in connection with the recent murder of Sergeant Lawrence Mtshweni, one shot himself and the other two were killed in a shootout. Mtshweni was killed in a robbery involving seven heavily armed suspects at a store in Schoemansdal, Mpumalanga, on 8 August. The following day, police made a breakthrough, according to national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, with the arrest of one person on 9 August in South Africa. Further intelligence pointed to the involvement of two men in Eswatini, who were traced to the Sishweleni region, according to the Royal Eswatini Police Service. 'When they noticed the police, they opened fire on them, and the Eswatini royal police returned fire, fatally killing the two suspects,' Mathe said. A third man was found at his parental home in Mantambe, Shiselweni, where he reportedly used a gun to kill himself before he could be arrested. READ | SAPS hunt cop killers after 3 officers fatally shot in the line of duty National police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, thanked Eswatini commissioner of police Vusie Masango, and the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force for their collaboration. 'On behalf of all the men and women in blue and the family of Sergeant Lawrence Mtshweni, we would like to thank the Royal Eswatini Police, led by Commissioner Masango, as well as the role played by the Umbutfo Defence Force in assisting our Mpumalanga police to trace these police killers,' Masemola said. He added that the partnership was crucial in combating the murder of police officers. The top cop said: The attacks and killing of our police officers is a concern, and we request our communities to assist us in putting a stop to these killings. 'We need as many boots on the ground as possible to prevent and combat crime,' Masemola said. This comes as a search is under way for Jabulani Moyo, who is accused of killing two police detectives who were transporting him back to the Boksburg correctional facility after appearing in court in Roodepoort. Police have offered a reward of R150 000 for information leading to his arrest. Six police officers have been killed in the line of duty since April.
News24
2 hours ago
- News24
Mother accused of pimping daughters says court orderlies made her smuggle drugs into prison
A woman accused of pimping out her young daughters was allegedly handed suspected drugs and told to smuggle them into prison, while on trial in the Gauteng High Court sitting in Palm Ridge. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ & CD)/Facebook Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Start your FREE trial now
News24
4 hours ago
- News24
Three known hijackers killed in shootout with police in Philippi
Three suspected hijackers were shot dead in a shootout with police in Philippi. Hours earlier, police discovered the body of a woman inside a hijacked taxi in Philippi East. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is probing the matter. Three known hijackers were killed in a gun battle with police on Tuesday night in Kosovo, Philippi, hours after Nyanga officers found the body of a woman in a hijacked vehicle that operated as a taxi. According to police insiders, five armed men hijacked the vehicle while the woman was a passenger inside. The driver was forced out, and the woman was robbed of her belongings before the vehicle was abandoned in Highfield Road. Her body was found in the abandoned car. She had sustained a gunshot wound to her mouth, the sources said. READ | Kidnapped Cape Town businessman found dead in Delft A tip-off later led police to the Kosovo informal settlement, where three people opened fire on them from inside a shack. Police returned fire, killing them. According to another source, several people pointed out the three men when the woman's body was found. 'They were terrorising the community,' the person said. 'Police acted a few minutes after getting the information, and it was like war, with the gunshots ringing till midnight.' One of the deceased was identified by insiders as Aphiwe Ndondashe, who was reportedly wanted for multiple murders and attempted murders in Philippi. Nyanga Community Policing Forum member Dumsani Qwebe praised the police for their action and said 'we cannot continue living in fear because of criminals'. Qwebe said: Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) was probing the matter. IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping confirmed the incident and added that 'IPID can confirm that it has registered the case in question, and our investigation is in its infancy stage'.
