By Levy Masiteng
Court proceedings were held on Monday in the criminal case involving the alleged sexual abuse of a learner at Karabo Primary School, with the accused educator remaining in custody, the Gauteng Department of Education said on Tuesday.
Soweto TV reported in June that the educator was facing a rape case involving a 13-year-old learner at the school. It later reported that a second complaint alleging sexual harassment had been lodged against the educator. It was not immediately clear whether the second complaint had resulted in a separate criminal charge.
Community leader Thokozani Shoba Simelane told the broadcaster that the learner had allegedly reported to her uncle that she had been raped by a teacher, prompting residents to call for justice.
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Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Lebogang Maile said the department responded immediately after the incident was reported on 28 May.
The matter was reported to police without delay, while the learner received medical attention and psychosocial support through the Thuthuzela Care Centre, Maile said. The educator was subsequently arrested and remains in custody.
“As this matter is now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment on the merits of the criminal proceedings. We have full confidence in the South African Police Service, the National Prosecuting Authority and the judiciary to discharge their constitutional responsibilities independently and without interference,” Maile said.
While the accused was entitled to procedural fairness and the constitutional presumption of innocence, Maile said those rights did not diminish the department’s obligation to protect learners and institute appropriate administrative and disciplinary processes where warranted.
“The protection of learners remains our foremost priority. Every child has the constitutional right to dignity, safety and a learning environment free from abuse, exploitation and violence. We will continue to provide the necessary psychosocial support to the learner and cooperate fully with all law enforcement authorities until the matter has been finalised,” Maile said.
He reiterated the Gauteng provincial government’s zero-tolerance approach to sexual abuse, gender-based violence and other forms of violence against children, and called on communities to report suspected abuse immediately.
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“The safety of our children cannot be left to government alone. It requires the active involvement of parents, families, educators, communities, religious institutions, civil society and law enforcement agencies. This is precisely why we continue to champion the ‘It Takes a Village to Raise a Child’ campaign,” he said.
The case comes amid continuing concern about sexual violence against children and misconduct in schools.
A South African Human Rights Commission report released in June, citing information from police and education regulators, said SAPS recorded 2,826 child sexual-offence charges nationally in 2024/25. The South African Council for Educators recorded 826 sexual-misconduct complaints between 2021 and 2025.
The national police figure was not limited to offences committed at schools, while complaints recorded by SACE do not necessarily represent criminal charges or convictions.
Maile said protecting children was a shared constitutional and moral responsibility and that schools should remain places of “safety, dignity and hope”.
