Criminal charges should be pursued against the Reiger Park, Johannesburg high school principal who resigned after "his alleged sex video with pupils' emerged on social media this week, the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) said.
Sanco expressed disappointment that education authorities had allowed the alleged perpetrator space to resign without punishment commensurate with his atrocious and despicable conduct, Sanco national spokesman Jabu Mahlangu said.
“Failure to institute disciplinary action against the said individual has allowed him to cash in on resignation benefits that he would have forfeited had he been dismissed," Mahlangu said.
It was a travesty of justice that someone who betrayed the trust of the community, parents, and pupils would escape with "a pat on the shoulder".
“It sets [a] bad precedence to open such an escape route for perpetrators who are stealing the innocence and childhood of girl children in our schools,” he said.
Action taken by the Gauteng education department against the perpetrator flew in the face of its zero-tolerance stance against sexual assault on girls claim.
Mahlangu said disciplinary procedures should adhere to the provisions of the Public Service Act, which directed that when an official resigned after disciplinary action had been instituted against them he or she was deemed to have been fired.
“In this case, violation of the educators’ code of conduct and statutory rape are serious allegations that warrant the harshest punishment possible to serve as a deterrent,” he said.
- African News Agency
