Limpopo pupils told to ‘fight fire with fire’
Learners in the province were advised to fight fire with fire following two incidents in which learners were badly beaten by their teachers recently.
Alex Matlala
LIMPOPO – Learners in the province were advised to fight fire with fire following several incidents across the country – two of which took place in Limpopo – in which learners were badly beaten by their teachers recently.
This controversial advice was given by the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) and followed shortly after the incidents in Limpopo.
Cosas President, Sandra Baloyi, also demanded that the Department of Education withdraw teachers who apply corporal punishment as they were not fit to work with children. “Teachers using corporal punishment on learners are criminals and should be totally withdrawn from schools.”
1st incident
Two weeks ago, two gr. 3 learners from Ramalema and Phepheni primary schools in Tzaneen, were brutally assaulted, allegedly by their teachers, in two separate incidents. The alleged beatings may have caused irreparable damage to their hands, according to their parents. Both learners were assaulted for failing to report to school.
In the first incident, Promise Mathole (10) missed school after his teacher allegedly beat him with a chalkboard ruler because he was late for class as he had to return home to fetch a pen.
His mother, Daisy, went to the school to lodge a formal complaint. She said the principal told the teacher to give her R300 for the boy’s medication.
“His swollen wound got worse and I took him to hospital where a nurse called a social worker. I opened a case of assault at the police station. The teacher was arrested but was back at school the following week. I had no other choice but to enrol my son at a different school as he was no longer safe at Phepheni Primary School,” she said.
2nd incident
In the second incident, a gr. 2 teacher from Ramalema Primary School allegedly assaulted Tebogo Mahasha (10) with a fan belt. Tebogo’s mother, Mapula, said her son was operated on at the Tzaneen Medi-Clinic where doctors said it was possible that he would not be able to use his one hand properly again. “The school principal asked the teacher to own up but the teacher gave contradicting statements and only later admitted to hitting my son. They later tried to bribe us not to report the case but the extent of the damage was so severe that I would not budge,” she said.
‘Fight fire with fire’
Baloyi said corporal punishment was outlawed. “We are making a compassionate call to our learners to fight fire with fire. If teachers use corporal punishment on you, you must unionise and fight the teacher.”
Basic Education Spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, said the call to fight fire with fire is criminal and irresponsible. According to policy, teachers who practise corporal punishment are supposed to be investigated and dismissed from the school. The department will talk with Cosas in an effort to have the call rescinded.
Tzaneen Cluster Police Spokesperson, Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe, said they had arrested Mapula Mabela, the teacher at Pharare Primary School and he will appear in the Nathuno Magistrate’s Court on 17 September.
He said the case against the Ramalema Primary School teacher was still being investigated.
Read more:
Boy may never be able to use hand again after brutal assault at school
