Parents halt teaching at school over boy’s rape

Parents at Lukhanji Primary School in Komani stopped all teaching and learning at the school demanding the immediate removal of the two boys who allegedly raped a six-year-old boy at the school toilet three weeks ago.

Parents arrived in numbers on Thursday morning and forced their way inside the school releasing the pupils to join the protest aimed at forcing the department of education to remove the two boys from the school.

At 8am, pupils were already out of their classes singing with their parents and carrying placards calling for the alleged rapists to be removed from the school and for the department to protect them.

After spending more than two hours singing outside the school premises, the parents were called to a meeting by the principal and the teachers.

School governing body chair Daliwonga Adonisi said when he found out about the incident he called a meeting and that is where other parents told their stories of how the same boys abused their children.

“We know that there are laws that govern schools and protect children but our children also have their rights to safety. We want the department of education to organise a place for these boys where they can write their exams, we don’t want them at the school,” he said.

Adonisi said the children are not safe around the two boys.