‘NO! WE WON’T HAVE HIM HERE’

Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
USHER Institute in Figtree has rejected the placement of a paedophile who walked out of court with a community service sentence at its complex saying he was a danger to pupils following his conviction for bedding a Form One girl at the school.

Clement Mpofu, 22, of Kalanga Farm in Figtree area was recently sentenced to perform 210 hours of community at the institution by Plumtree magistrate, Gideon Ruvetsa for having sex with the juvenile who lives and learns at the institute.

Usher Institute Administrator, Absalom Makanga said Mpofu was doing unpaid work at Usher Primary School, which is about 50 metres from the girl’s homestead where the offence took place.

He said the institution’s board met recently and concluded that it was not proper for the paedophile to be sent to the institute — his hunting ground.

Makanga said they had communicated their decision to Figtree Police and they would be going to court on Monday over the issue.

“The victim of this man is a Form One pupil within our institute and it is our duty to protect her and other pupils who are under our custody. The place where this man is performing his community service is conducive enough for him to have sex with the juvenile again,” he said.

“It’s improper for the girl who stays with her aunt within the institute to be in close proximity with this man. This set up causes torture on the child and her guardian. To make matters worse this guy was in a relationship with the juvenile and if he still is then he might bed her again and the institute will be his venue again.”

Makanga said as the institute administration, they were unsettled to have a man like Mpofu, who sleeps with juveniles, among both primary and secondary school pupils as that would endanger them.

He said they had assigned the secondary school’s headmaster to engage Figtree Police Station over the matter.

Makanga said they had requested police to have Mpofu transferred to another institution where he could perform his community service.

He also said they would also approach the courts on Monday over the issue.

A senior official at the school who preferred anonymity said Mpofu was still performing his community service at the school.

He said the police had agreed that they would address the issue.

“We agreed as a school that we could not house that man within our premises where he has access to his victim for close to two months until he completes his community service,” said the official.

“The issue is still dragging but we hope to have it resolved soon. For this man, performing community service at Usher Institute might be suitable and convenient for him but for us and the victim’s family, it is not.”

The man had sex with the minor on June 8 in the presence of her sister at the girls’ home. The girl lives with their aunt at Usher Institute.

Mpofu was disrupted by the return of the juvenile’s aunt and the girl’s nine-year-old sister spilled the beans after the victim had tried to conceal the matter.

The man was sentenced to nine months imprisonment of which three were suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the same period.

The remaining six months were suspended on condition that he performs 210 hours of community service within the girl’s school complex.

In his defence, Mpofu had told the court that the juvenile invited him to her aunt’s house and begged him to have sexual intercourse with her.

According to facts presented in court, the juvenile’s aunt left her two nieces at her house at Usher Institute while she went to attend a funeral in Bulawayo.

During her absence, Mpofu had sexual intercourse with the victim in her bedroom while her nine-year-old sister was asleep.

The matter came to light when the juvenile’s aunt got a tip off from her youngest niece and the matter was reported to the police.

Concern has been raised by child rights activists who have equated sending a paedophile to do community service at a school as sending him back to his “hunting ground.”

Matabeleland South acting provincial police spokesperson, Sergeant Thabani Mkhwananzi said the institution had to take the matter back to the Plumtree Magistrates Court as it was now under the responsibility of the judiciary.

He said the institution could approach the Police Station seeking guidance or a platform to air their grievances but the courts were better placed to comment on the matter.