MBOMBELA – Two years after a Cefups Academy pupil died, the cause of her death remains unknown. At the time it was believed that Paballo Seane had died from injuries sustained while receiving corporal punishment at the school.
According to Mbombela police spokesman, Capt Dawie Pretorius, the post-mortem performed on Seane following her death on July 31, 2014, was inconclusive regarding the cause of death.
Pretorius confirmed that she had external injuries. “We received statements that she had drunk Savlon (antiseptic fluid used to treat open wounds).
“A bottle containing a liquid was found next to her person when she was discovered. It was sent away for testing in a laboratory which confirmed that it was Savlon. However, the post-mortem did not say what caused her death.”
Seane died in hospital.
Two years later it is now up to the National Prosecuting Authority to determine whether anyone was responsible for her death.
Since the incident, the Mpumalanga Department of Education has attempted to withdraw the independent school’s registration.
According to MEC Ms Reginah Mhaule, they received numerous reports of corporal punishment at the school since 2009. Last year she told legislature that the department started engaging with the school at the time. She said the head of the department, Ms Mahlasedi Mhlabane, had even instructed Cefups to hold workshops on corporal punishment, which it apparently never did.
When Seane died, they agreed they could not start the process of withdrawing the school’s registration afresh, due to all the steps to engage Cefups they had taken previously.
However, after Mhlabane notified the school that she intended to withdraw its registration in August 2014, the school approached the High Court. It found Mhlabane should have set out requirements with which the school had to comply to prevent the proposed withdrawal of its registration anew, and it was allowed to remain open.
Now, the department has revealed to the portfolio committee on education that it is considering obtaining an interdict to compel Cefups not to administer corporal punishment.
The department also stated that it has been advised by its legal council to review the regulations of withdrawing registration of independent schools, “as in its current form the department might never succeed in closing an independent school in the province”.
“The department is considering this advice favourably and will update the committee once the course of action has been decided.”
The DA’s Ms Jane Sithole welcomed the proposal but slammed the department for bungling the process.
“The department won’t be able to close the school, that is a given as they did not follow the correct procedure.
“But the school violated the child’s constitutional human rights. We would welcome the interdict as they must be forced to stop administering corporal punishment, otherwise we would take them to court,” she said.
The department’s spokesman Mr Jasper Zwane would not comment on the newspaper’s questions.
“The matter in question is still a subject of the courts and as such it is sub judice. It is always advisable for the DA to make verification with the department before they issue statements that cannot be corroborated,” he said.
