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Eyewitness News
6 days ago
- Health
- Eyewitness News
Eastern Cape teacher accused of beating learner with a hosepipe
The Eastern Cape Department of Education has issued a stern warning to teachers against using corporal punishment to discipline learners. This comes as a teacher from Zamokuhle Junior Secondary School in Matatiele is due back in court later this month, accused of beating a 12-year-old learner with a hosepipe. The learner's mother, who asked that we not name her or her son, told GroundUp that her child returned from school with dark bruises on his buttocks on 19 May. According to the learner, on the day of the incident, he and three other learners were washing their dishes after lunch, after the bell had rung for them to return to classes. He said a male teacher approached them and instructed them to follow him to the staff room to 'punish them' for being late to class. 'He took the hosepipe and hit my classmate three times on his hand. The second classmate was beaten three times on the bum. The third classmate was also beaten on bums seven times,' said the learner. 'I stopped counting at eight while he was beating me. I started feeling numb, I didn't cry anymore,' he said. The learner said he returned to class and was in pain for the rest of the day. 'I wanted to go home but I didn't want to get in trouble again. The pain was unbearable, I was crying but trying to be strong at the same time,' he said. His mother said she went to the school to report the matter, but she was snubbed by the other teachers. She then decided to open a case at the police station. The teacher has since apologised. 'To be honest I now feel sorry for him, I don't want him to lose his job,' said the mother. When GroundUp contacted the school for comment, we were told by the person who answered the call that the teacher had resigned. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the teacher faces charges relating to corporal punishment at the Maluti Magistrates Court. His next court appearance will be on 25 June. Eastern Cape Department of Education spokesperson Vuyiseka Mboxela warned that corporal punishment is against the Constitution and the department's policies. She said she had asked the school for more details. Equal Education Law Centre Attorney Ebrahiem Daniels said though it is illegal, corporal punishment continues in schools. He said the organisation gets reports of corporal punishment from across the country. Daniels said there is a lack of training and support for teachers about other forms of discipline. 'Without the tools to manage classrooms constructively, some teachers continue to resort to physical punishment. Research consistently shows that corporal punishment is not only ineffective but also harmful. 'It is linked to increased aggression, anti-social behaviour, and long-term emotional harm. Rather than correcting behaviour, it reinforces the idea that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems,' said Daniels. This article first appeared on GroundUp. Read the original article here.
The Citizen
23-05-2025
- The Citizen
Woman linked to Gqeberha newborn kidnappings appears in court
The woman faces two counts of kidnapping and is expected back in court on 30 May. One of the two women arrested in connection to the abduction of two newborn babies from a Gqeberha hospital appeared in court on Friday. Sinovuyo Rabula, 26, appeared in the New Brighton Magistrates' Court following her arrest on Tuesday and faces two counts of kidnapping. She is due to appear in court again on 30 May 2025 for a formal bail application. Woman faked sickness and accessed maternity ward National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in the Eastern Cape Luxolo Tyali said the woman entered Dora Nginza Hospital under false pretences of experiencing abdominal pain on 20 May. The premature baby boys – one four days old and the other two days old at the time – were being treated in the public hospital's neonatal ward. '[She] accessed the maternity ward without authorisation, and removed the infants while posing as a new mother,' Tyali said. Searched launched after mothers discover their babies missing A frantic search to find the missing babies was launched by the Gqeberha police's Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and health authorities. This after the mother of one of the infants discovered her baby was missing when she went to the maternity ward's premature unit with the intention of breastfeeding him at 8.30pm. ALSO READ: Bank executive kidnapped in Edenvale rescued, five arrested She had last seen her son at around 7pm when she left him after a feed. A second mother later arrived at the ward and discovered that her baby son was also missing. Women captured on hospital CCTV cameras When questioned about the incident on Tuesday morning, Eastern Cape health department spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo, said a security guard stationed in the maternity building tried to stop two women who were attempting to access the ward carrying a bag. 'The ladies were assumed to be breastfeeding. However, one of them managed to evade the security guard and gain access to the nursery carrying the same bag.' Kupelo added that CCTV footage showed one of the women later using a different door to exit with the bag. Suspects arrested South African Police Service spokesperson Sandra Janse van Rensburg said at the time that one of the police officers noticed two women carrying infants while he was exiting the premises. 'He immediately approached them and started questioning the women,' Janse van Rensburg said. 'The suspicion of the member was positive after the infants were identified as the two stolen babies.' Rabula and her 25-year-old alleged accomplice were then arrested. *Additional reporting by Cornelia Le Roux NOW READ: Man arrested for using fake Facebook profile to lure, kidnap, and rape women
IOL News
01-05-2025
- IOL News
Sexually abused daughter's resilience ensures dad's lengthy jail sentence
The High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division in Gqeberha, has delivered a harsh sentence for a father convicted of child pornography. Image: File AN Eastern Cape father has been sentenced to two life terms behind bars and an additional 3 713 years imprisonment following his conviction on more than 700 counts relating to rape, sexual assault, and sexual grooming. The 56-year-old man who sexually exploited his daughter was recently sentenced at the High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division in Gqeberha. He faced an extensive compilation of counts which included rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming, human trafficking, possession, production and procuring of child pornography, and exposing children and a person living with mental disability to pornography. After initially pleading not guilty, he made certain admissions in terms of Section 220 of the Criminal Procedure Act, according to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali. The father, whose name is being withheld to protect the child, committed his crimes from 2015 to 2022, primarily at his home in Jeffreys Bay, in which the primary complainant was his daughter. 'The primary complainant, his biological daughter, was first exposed to pornography at the age of 10. As the abuse escalated, she was subjected to repeated sexual exploitation by the accused and her adolescent half-brother. The accused not only participated in the abuse but also recorded the acts and directed them. He later distributed the content through digital platforms to unidentified third parties. 'Investigations uncovered extensive digital evidence, including thousands of images and videos stored across multiple devices. These included a cellphone, laptop, hard drives, and USB devices containing graphic material involving both known and unknown minors, some as young as toddlers. Children were depicted nude or semi-nude, engaging in sexual acts often under coercion,' said Tyali. The investigation and arrest of the Jeffrey's Bay father were prompted by a report from one of the minor victims, his biological daughter, who disclosed the abuse to a relative. Image: File According to court details, the exploitation was not limited to the daughter; other children in the household were also groomed and abused. In certain instances, the man instructed his minor son to sell images and videos of the abuse to external clients. 'His arrest on 1 September 2022 in Jeffreys Bay was prompted by a report from one of the minor victims, his biological daughter, who disclosed the abuse to a relative. A broader pattern of systemic exploitation and criminal conduct within the family unit soon emerged. The accused was found to have used his authority and position of trust to manipulate and abuse the minors in his care,' said Tyali. Tyali said Senior State Advocate, Ismat Cerfontein, argued that the crimes committed were among the most severe and sustained forms of abuse the court had encountered. She emphasised the premeditated nature of the offences, the deliberate grooming of the victims, and the use of technology to document and distribute the abuse.
IOL News
01-05-2025
- IOL News
Eastern Cape father sentenced to life for child exploitation and pornography
The High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division in Gqeberha, has delivered a harsh sentence for a father convicted of child pornography. Image: File A 56-year-old man who sexually exploited his minor daughter will serve two life terms behind bars and an additional 3 713 years imprisonment following his conviction on more than 700 counts relating to rape, sexual assault, and sexual grooming. The man was sentenced at the High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division in Gqeberha, said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali. The man was sentenced after facing an extensive compilation of counts which included rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming, human trafficking, possession, production and procuring of child pornography, and exposing children and a person living with mental disability to pornography. The accused pleaded not guilty. However, he made certain admissions in terms of Section 220 of the Criminal Procedure Act. Tyali said the offences were allegedly committed from 2015 to 2022, primarily at the accused's home in Jeffreys Bay, in which the primary complainant was his daughter. 'The primary complainant, his biological daughter, was first exposed to pornography at the age of 10. As the abuse escalated, she was subjected to repeated sexual exploitation by the accused and her adolescent half-brother. The accused not only participated in the abuse but also recorded the acts and directed them. He later distributed the content through digital platforms to unidentified third parties. 'Investigations uncovered extensive digital evidence, including thousands of images and videos stored across multiple devices. These included a cellphone, laptop, hard drives, and USB devices containing graphic material involving both known and unknown minors, some as young as toddlers. Children were depicted nude or semi-nude, engaging in sexual acts often under coercion,' said Tyali. The investigation and arrest of the Jeffrey's Bay father were prompted by a report from one of the minor victims, his biological daughter, who disclosed the abuse to a relative. Image: File According to court details, the exploitation was not limited to the primary complainant; other children in the household were also groomed and abused. In certain instances, the accused instructed his minor son to sell images and videos of the abuse to external clients. 'His arrest on 1 September 2022 in Jeffreys Bay was prompted by a report from one of the minor victims, his biological daughter, who disclosed the abuse to a relative. A broader pattern of systemic exploitation and criminal conduct within the family unit soon emerged. The accused was found to have used his authority and position of trust to manipulate and abuse the minors in his care,' said Tyali. Tyali said Senior State Advocate, Ismat Cerfontein, argued that the crimes committed were among the most severe and sustained forms of abuse the court had encountered. She emphasised the premeditated nature of the offences, the deliberate grooming of the victims, and the use of technology to document and distribute the abuse.
The Herald
29-04-2025
- The Herald
Gqeberha man gets life for kidnapping, rape
The state has secured a hefty sentence for a Gqeberha man who kidnapped, assaulted and raped a woman at his house in Jacksonville a year ago. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said Cheslyn Matroos, 41, had been handed an effective sentence of life imprisonment by the city's regional court on Tuesday. On April 13 2024, Matroos took the 25-year-old woman from a friend's house in Windvogel against her will. He forced her into his car and drove to his own home in Jacksonville, where he assaulted her and raped her twice. There were also further attempts to rape the victim, who was known to the man. The next morning, the woman escaped and ran to a friend's house nearby. While she did not tell her friend what had happened the night before, she asked to borrow a phone, which she used to call the police and report the matter. She was taken to the Thuthuzela Care Centre, where a medical examination confirmed injuries consistent with rape. The police then arrested Matroos at his house. During the investigation and throughout the trial he maintained his innocence, claiming the woman had accompanied him freely to his home and the sex had been consensual. However, the court rejected his defence, and he was accordingly convicted on two counts of rape, and individual counts of attempted rape, assault and kidnapping. Arguing in aggravation of sentence, prosecutor Kenny van Biljon said the offence had been premeditated, had caused the victim severe physical and emotional trauma, and it was the court's duty to send a clear message against the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV). Matroos was handed two life sentences for the rapes, 15 years for attempted rape, five years for kidnapping and two years for assault. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning he will serve an effective life term. The court also ordered that his name be added the National Register for Sex Offenders. Eastern Cape director of public prosecutions Barry Madolo welcomed the sentence and commended the woman for her bravery in coming forward to report the case. He urged all victims of abuse to come forward, and said the NPA endeavoured to prosecute all perpetrators of GBV. The Herald
