Latest news with #Njobe
The Herald
02-06-2025
- General
- The Herald
Swamped teachers ‘expected to perform miracles'
Njobe said the school's request was simple, no luxuries, but essentials — classrooms, teachers and security. The principal said the school struggled to get parents to assist their children with homework and assignments. 'A lot of parents are working on the farms, picking oranges. 'Most of these companies have a no-work-no-pay policy so parents miss out on a lot because they can't afford not to get paid. 'Parents leave early in the morning and come back after dark. There's no time to look at their children's work. 'We have challenges even when we've written letters to parents asking for meetings — they don't show up.' Njobe said Bongolethu's biggest problem was the lack of classrooms because even if the department employed more teachers, there would be no space for them to teach. 'We've written letters asking for bungalows or containers. We would take that while they source funding to build proper classrooms. 'We also want a library. There's no library at the school and no proper resources for the children. 'The department tries in its allocation of books but it's not enough.' Just a few metres up the road, Glentana Junior Primary principal Tembela Vumazonke echoed Njobe's cries for help. Vumazonke and her grade 3 English subject head, Lillian Dyonase, said reading levels at the school were dangerously low, with grade 3 pupils grappling with words they should have mastered in grade 1. 'Our children don't know phonics. We create posters, we try everything, but some children just can't comprehend what's in front of them,' Vumazonke said. Dyonase said the teachers tried to support pupils individually, but the sheer number of struggling youngsters made it impossible to keep up with the curriculum. 'We're grade 3 teachers, but you find the words we're teaching the pupils, the words they're struggling with, are grade 1 or grade 2 words. 'I have a problem with children who don't know how to read entire sentences. 'I even have to break down words and, [in] that time, we've got five sentences to go through and yet that's how I'm teaching each class. 'There's a disconnect somewhere between child, educator and parent. The biggest problem we've got with languages is isiXhosa, which is a home language [subject]. 'Even though the children speak the language, they can't read, write or comprehend,' Dyonase said. Vumazonke said some parents had dropped out of school themselves, making it difficult for them to help their children with their homework. Bongolethu and Glentana are also situated near taverns — a major headache for both schools. Njobe said children as young as those in grade 4 consumed alcohol. Dyonase said the proximity of the taverns was a big problem. 'There's a lot of drinking that goes on in Kirkwood. ' We also deal a lot with children who have learning disabilities and as educators we see this, but we're not medical professionals and can't give a diagnosis. 'We refer them to a departmental official who conducts such assessments, but the problem is there's only one official for the entire district which creates a backlog.' Eastern Cape education department spokesperson Vuyiseka Mboxela said the department was currently building 34 schools in the province, and while Glentana was not part of the figure, the department was obligated to address the challenges at the school. 'Increase of numbers in classes are a decision of the school because it's them that administer intake at the school.' Mboxela said building new schools in communities depended on the determination of profiles conducted by the department. The provincial government had budgeted R1.9bn for school infrastructure in the current financial year. The number of schools in the province have been reduced from 5,285 to 4,976. On the proximity of taverns close to schools, Mboxela said the liquor board had extended the radius of taverns to be 500m from schools. 'Previously, this was 100m,' she said. This special report into the state of literacy, a collaborative effort by The Herald, Sowetan and Daily Dispatch, was made possible by the Henry Nxumalo Foundation The Herald
The Citizen
14-05-2025
- The Citizen
Parents sentenced for murder and abuse of one-year-old daughter
The judge found the couple showed no remorse for abusing and killing their one-year-old daughter, Sphesihle. The Pretoria North Magistrate's Court sent a strong message against crimes targeting children by sentencing a couple for brutally murdering and abusing their one-year-old daughter. Joseph Molwana (25) and Zanele Njobe (20) were sentenced to life imprisonment and 15 years, respectively, for the premeditated murder of their daughter, Sphesihle Nonlanhla Njobe. The court sentenced Njobe to 15 years under the Child Justice Act, as she had been a minor at the time of the offence. Couple sentenced for brutal murder of baby girl On 15 May 2022, the couple woke up at Njobe's residence and noticed their daughter was unresponsive. Molwana and Njobe called their neighbours, and upon their arrival, the pair realised that little Sphesihle had died. The couple then notified Njobe's family, community members, and the police. When the police arrived, they arrested Molwana and Njobe at the scene. ALSO READ: Child abuse suspect nabbed in Roodepoort In court, the couple pleaded not guilty, claiming that they didn't know what happened to the toddler. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Molwana and Njobe told the court that Sphesihle had been crying the previous night, but they didn't know what was wrong, and they fell asleep. 'However, State Prosecutor Hanlie du Preez led compelling evidence from a pathologist, which revealed that the child had been severely abused, with four broken ribs, bruises, and bite marks on her body,' Mahanjana said. Evidence showed child was severely abused During sentencing proceedings, the defence requested a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentences, arguing that Molwana was a first-time offender who had been in custody for over two years, and that Njobe, a minor at the time, lacked parental guidance. However, Du Preez urged the court to impose the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment, asserting that the couple had deliberately abused their one-year-old child. The prosecutor also stated that the community felt outraged by the incident and looked to the court to deliver justice. ALSO READ: Only 4% of child abuse cases lead to convictions, report finds In delivering judgment, Magistrate Pieter Nel agreed with the prosecution, finding that the couple showed no remorse and that the child had suffered prolonged abuse. He stressed the need to protect society from such people. 'The NPA hopes this sentence sends a strong message that gender-based violence (GBV) and crimes against children remain a priority and will be prosecuted without fear or favour,' Mahanjana said. Five years for child abuse The court also sentenced the couple to five years' direct imprisonment for child abuse and declared both unfit to work with children or possess a firearm. In addition, Molwana, a Mozambican national, received a two-year direct imprisonment sentence for being in South Africa illegally. The court ruled that all Molwana's sentences run concurrently with the life sentence.
The South African
14-05-2025
- The South African
Pretoria couple sentenced for murder of their one-year-old child
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the sentences handed down to a Soshanguve couple for the murder of their one-year-old child. The incident happened on 15 May 2022 in Soshanguve, Pretoria North. The NPA said on 15 May 2022, the couple was at Njobe's place of residence, when they woke up that morning, they realised that their one-year-old daughter was not responsive. They reportedly went to call their neighbours, when the neighbours arrived, they realised that the child was dead. They then called Njobe's family, community members and the police. On arrival the police arrested the couple on the scene. The NPA said Joseph Molwana, a 25-year-old Mozambican national was sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of his 1-year-old daughter, Sphesihle Nonhlanhla Njobe. The mother, Zanele Njobe, who was a minor at the time of the offence, was sentenced to 15 years' direct imprisonment for the same offence, in terms of the Child Justice Act. Both parents were further sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment for child abuse. In addition, Molwana received a two-year direct imprisonment sentence for being in the country illegally. The court ordered that all sentences for Molwana run concurrently with the life sentence. The court also declared both accused unfit to work with children and unfit to possess firearms. NPA spokesperson in Gauteng Lumka Mahanjana said in court, both accused pleaded not guilty, claiming they were unaware of what had happened to the child. Mahanjana explained that the parents said the child had been crying the previous night, but they did not know what was wrong and eventually fell asleep. However, State Prosecutor Hanlie Du Preez led compelling evidence from a pathologist, which revealed that the child had been severely abused, with four broken ribs, bruises, and bite marks on her body. 'During sentencing proceedings, the defence argued for a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentences, citing Molwana's status as a first-time offender who had been in custody for over two years, and Njobe's status as a minor at the time, lacking parental guidance. However, prosecutor Du Preez asked the court to impose the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment because the couple deliberately committed serious offences of abuse towards their own child who was only a year old. 'Furthermore, Du Preez argued that the community was outraged by this offence and their hopes are on the courts to send a message with the imposed sentence. In delivering judgment, Magistrate Pieter Nel agreed with the prosecution, finding that the couple showed no remorse and that the child had suffered prolonged abuse. He stressed the need to protect society from such individuals,' she explained. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
14-05-2025
- The Citizen
Pretoria couple sentenced for brutal murder of one-year-old daughter
A Pretoria couple who inflicted severe injuries on their one-year-old daughter — including broken ribs, bruises, and bite marks — has been sentenced for her murder, with the father receiving life imprisonment and the mother 15 years behind bars. According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, the couple, Joseph Molwana (25), a Mozambican national, and Zanele Njobe (20), lived in Soshanguve. 'Molwana was sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of his 1-year-old daughter, Sphesihle Nonlanhla Njobe. Njobe, who was a minor at the time of the offence, was sentenced to 15 years' direct imprisonment for the same offence, in terms of the Child Justice Act.' Mahanjana said both were further sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment for child abuse. 'In addition, Molwana received a two-year direct imprisonment sentence for being in the country illegally. 'The court ordered that all sentences for Molwana run concurrently with the life sentence. The court also declared both accused unfit to work with children and unfit to possess firearms.' She said the couple was at Njobe's place of residence when they woke up that morning on May 15, 2022, and realised that their 1-year-old daughter was not responsive. 'They went to call their neighbors, when the neigbours arrived, they realized that the child was dead. 'They then called Jobes family, community members and the police. On arrival, the police arrested the couple on the scene.' In court, both accused pleaded not guilty, claiming they were unaware of what had happened to the child. They said the child had been crying the previous night, but they did not know what was wrong and eventually fell asleep. However, State Prosecutor Hanlie Du Preez led compelling evidence from a pathologist, which revealed that the child had been severely abused, with four broken ribs, bruises, and bite marks on her body. Mahanjana said during sentencing proceedings, the defence argued for a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentences, citing Molwana's status as a first-time offender who had been in custody for over two years, and Njobe's status as a minor at the time, lacking parental guidance. 'However, prosecutor Du Preez asked the court to impose the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment because the couple deliberately committed serious offences of abuse towards their own child, who was only a year old. Furthermore, Du Preez argued that the community was outraged by this offence, and their hopes are on the courts to send a message by the sentence imposed.' In delivering judgment, Magistrate Pieter Nel agreed with the prosecution, finding that the couple showed no remorse and that the child had suffered prolonged abuse. He stressed the need to protect society from such individuals. 'The NPA hopes this sentence sends a strong message that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and crimes against children remain a priority and will be prosecuted without fear or favour,' said Mahanjana. Also read: Three more arrested in Pretoria journalist and partner murders after community tip-off Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
