A 25-year-old principal of the Lydenburg Islamic Centre will appear in court on Monday.
He was arrested by members of Saps last week, following alleged incidents of corporal punishment administered to children who are pupils at the centre.
Police Spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi says it was reported that the 10-year-old boy from the centre was taken to a hospital. They told nurses that the boy suffered from allergies to explain his blood red eyes.
He says hospital staff became suspicious when the centre management did not want the boy to respond to questions posed to him, instead they were the ones responding on his behalf.
Hlathi says when it was decided that the boy should be admitted, the principal insisted that he wanted to stay with him but was denied, as that was reportedly against hospital policy.
During treatment and other processes, hospital staff noticed severe injuries on his buttocks and when asked what happened he allegedly told the nurses that he was beaten by the principal with a hosepipe.
The child had to undergo serious operations as a result of his injuries.
The victim, who was from Cape Town and came to the centre to learn the Quran, alleged that "the principal used to beat them when they failed his tests".
Statements from other learners and staff members [allegedly] confirmed the harsh punishment the learners are going through at the centre, with five other victims have come to the fore.
The suspect would appear in the Mashishing Magistrate's Court on Monday on five counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Mpumalanga police management urged educators to stop administering corporal punishment to pupils, as that is against the law.
- African News Agency (ANA)
