MBOMBELA – The DA’s Ms Jane Sithole raised her concern over the fact that the controversial Cefups Academy is still operational, more than a year after the Mpumalanga Department of Education formally started procedures to have it closed.
Education MEC, Ms Reginah Mhaule said during an answering session of the Mpumalanga Legislature that her department was currently awaiting advice from the legal department as to what it should do next. A learner Paballo Seane died on July 31 last year, after allegedly being beaten with a sjambok.
The DA has taken offence at the school still being in operation, after Paballo was beaten, which possibly led to her death at the school.
The HOD, Ms Mohlasedi Mhlabane, notified the institution in August 2014 that she intended to withdraw its registration.
Cefups took the matter to court and in December a judge granted its appeal, finding that Mhlabane had not set out requirements with which the school must comply to prevent the proposed withdrawal of its registration.
This week Sihole wanted to know if any disciplinary action could be expected against the HOD, but Mhaule defended her actions, explaining that she agreed with the handling of the matter.
“When complaints first surfaced from parents and through the media (in 2009 and 2010), the HOD started engaging with the school.”
It had gone as far as Mhlabane instructing the school to hols workshops on corporal punishment, which it never did, according to Mhaule. When Paballo died, Mhaule agreed with Mhlabane that the department couldn’t start the process afresh.
Mhaule continued to set out the challenges the department faced in protecting learners. She said learners had in the past told the department of abuse at the school.
“The children told us in confidence. They still had exams to write and were afraid they would be victimised. We promised to protect them and we are protecting them.”
And sometimes, witnesses other than minors prevented justice from being served, as they would not show up to testify in court.
“As we speak now, we are still waiting for the post-mortem report,” the MEC said.
