adminDumisani Nsingo and Luckson Munkombwe recently in Binga
A TEACHER at Siansundu Secondary School in Binga appeared in court recently facing a charge of having sexual intercourse with a Grade 7 pupil, amid outcries from villagers that teachers from the school have developed a tendency of engaging in sexual relationships with pupils.
Costan Mupande appeared at Binga Magistrates Court where he pleaded not guilty to the offence and was remanded out of custody on $100 bail. Last year the school’s deputy headmaster was dragged to the provincial education offices for allegedly bedding a pupil but a verdict on the matter is yet to be passed. In June this year, another teacher was caught by his wife allegedly making love to a Form 3 pupil.
“The teacher who slept with a Grade 7 pupil was arrested for having sexual intercourse with a minor. This case is just a tip of the iceberg as there are four teachers that have been a menace at the school, sleeping will-nilly with school girls. In June this year one of the teachers was caught by his wife having sex with a Form 3 girl. The wife badly beat up the girl for sleeping with her husband. However, the girl’s father reported the matter to the headmaster but nothing was done to date,” said a villager on condition of anonymity.
Binga District Education Officer Mr Edson Masungo confirmed that there has been an uproar by villagers over the misconduct being perpetrated by some teachers at Siansundu Secondary.
“We have heard of a number of cases about teachers from that particular school being accused of sleeping with school girls but I can only confirm only two incidents which have been made official, this being the latest case which is in the courts and another one which is awaiting a verdict from the provincial office,” he said.
Sunday News visited the Grade 7 pupil’s homestead last week where her mother was still in a state of shock.
“I’m still in shock about the idea of a grown up man sleeping with a 14-year-old girl. I suspected that she was pregnant after seeing that she had been behaving strangely over the past few days. I interrogated her and she told me that she had been having sexual intercourse with Mupande for some time. I then went to file a report at the police leading to the teacher’s arrest,” she said.
However, pregnancy tests conducted at Binga District Hospital revealed that the girl was not pregnant.
Villagers said there was a need for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to transfer or dismiss some of the teachers at the school as they would have formed an unholy alliance to cover each other’s backs in the event one commits treacherous acts.
Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister, Professor Paul Mavhima said such teachers risk having their services being withdrawn.
“It’s a serious offence (engaging in a sexual relationship with pupils). They (teachers) may be discharged from the system of education. If ever there are such issues happening to schools, they must be reported through the (PEDs) Provincial Education Directors who must then take positive action according to the policy,” he said.
Prof Mavhima said he was going to inquire about the Siansundu issue from the Matabeleland North provincial education director with a view of finding out what action has been taken. A comment could not be obtained from the acting director Mr Mathias Luphahla by the time of going to Press.
derick.khumalo
Online Reporter