A former Pretoria east school teacher charged with the rape of a Grade Five learner has been released on R10 000 bail.

National Prosecuting Authority Pretoria spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says the former teacher (34), accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual grooming, recently appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.

“It is alleged that when the man was employed as a teacher at the school between 2017 and 2018, he raped, sexually assaulted and sexually groomed the Grade Five learner during swimming lessons and extra tuition.”

Mahanjana says the learner was aged between 10 and 11 at the time.

“It is alleged that the child only realised that what was done to her was wrong after she attended sexual offence classes in 2019.

“Thereafter, it is alleged that the child started to misbehave, and turned to self-harm by cutting herself.”

The mother noticed the behavioural changes and asked the child what was wrong.

“The child disclosed what had happened and her mother took her to a social worker in 2019. The child was later referred to a forensic social worker in 2023.

“A case was opened at a police station in Cape Town and transferred to Brooklyn Police Station.”

Mahanjana says the accused asked to be released on bail because he has no previous convictions or pending cases.

He also told the court that he co-operated with the state by handing himself over to the police when he realised they were looking for him. He also handed in his passport.

“The state however opposed his application and told the court that should he be convicted, he faced a long jail term.”

It also argued that since he has no assets in South Africa and is unemployed, he is a flight risk and will be difficult to trace if he skips the country.

The court granted him bail with conditions that he report to his closest police station three times a week, and not interfere directly or indirectly with state witnesses.

The matter was postponed to March 27, for further investigation.

The accused was remanded to Kgosi Mampuru prison.