Select Committee Chairperson Calls for Speed in Sanctioning Deputy Principal Arrested on Allegations of Child Trafficking

The Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries has called on the Eastern Cape Department of Education and the South African Council for Educators to work with speed on the matter involving a deputy school principal who has been arrested on allegations of trafficking schoolgirls in the Amathole West District.

The committee Chairperson, Mr Makhi Feni, said it was clear that the female deputy principal, who is also a so-called “reverend”, does not deserve to be an educator. He said: “We are disappointed to learn of this incident. The responsible educator bodies must move with speed to remove the deputy principal from the educators roll and appropriate sanction should be taken.”

An official from the provincial education department briefed the committee that disciplinary action will follow, but the process is currently with law enforcement. The committee heard that the deputy principal is currently behind bars and the department will strictly monitor her bail conditions.

“This is the least of the challenges we should be hearing about in the Eastern Cape given the extent of the challenges that the committee has heard about,” Mr Feni said. “Our children should be protected against this so-called ‘reverend’. We cannot wait for the outcome of a criminal process.”

The committee also heard about other issues, including extortion, theft of food from the nutrition programme, unmonitored scholar transport, burglary and ongoing payments of salaries made to former employees.

The committee is currently undertaking a week-long oversight visit in the Eastern Cape, focusing on Amathole West District. The committee will also visit Gqeberha on Thursday.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.