Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi visited a Mamelodi East school on Monday after a pupil was apparently raped.
He said he asked for a full report from Mahube Valley Secondary School on what happened.
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A 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 28-year-old school patroller at a matric ball at Tokwe lodge in Bronkorstspruit on 29 September.
He said he dispatched an intervention team to the school last Friday.
Expressing shock, Lesufi said this was a serious matter.
He held talks with all the parties concerned on Monday.
“The principal told me that she asked the school patroller why was he attending the matric dance because he was not part of the matric dance,” said Panyaza.
The girl told teachers at first that nothing had happened between her and the school patroller.
She changed her version of events on Monday, telling the principal she was indeed raped.
The MEC said he was disappointed by the way the police handled the matter.
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“They should have taken the matter very seriously and opened a case without returning the girl home,” he said.
“The matter was supposed to be handled ” immediately.”
Lesufi said his department would conduct a full investigation, together with its social workers.
“We have also received information that the school patroller was in a relationship with a girl. There were also two more girls at the school in a relationship with the patroller.”
The MEC said another transgression related to five learners drinking during the matric ball.
The school was advised to suspend the learners with immediate effect.
Principal of the school, Thoko Zikhali, said the school patroller qas not supposed to be at the matric ball.
“Unfortunately we could not attend to the matter immediately because the programme of our matric dance had already started.”
But the patroller told the principal that he had borrowed a car from his brother to attend the event.
Gogo Dlovana, of ANC Women’s League said: “This is a serious matter and we are going to the court on Wednesday to support the family of the girl child.
“We are also going to draft a letter to oppose bail for the perpetrator.”
Mamelodi East police spokesperson Captain Michael Mbewe said a 28-year-old CPF scholar patroller handed himself to the police for raping a 17 year old school girl on Monday.
It is alleged that she was vomiting when he took her outside the lodge as if he was assisting her and ended up raping her without a condom.
Lesufi said his department would support the child with everything she needed to pass her matric exams.
If she passed well, she would be given a bursary, he said.
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