Limpopo teacher locks boy (8) in classroom as ‘punishment’
Police say the parents of the child who was punished can open a case of child abuse and negligence against the teacher who implemented the punishment.
MOLEMOLE – The parents of an eight-year-old boy, Sekwati Masoga, has called for the Department of Education to take steps against a teacher at Mamotshana Primary School Sekonye, Molemole Rural who allegedly locked Sekwati in a classroom for hours without food or water.
Last Monday Sekwati was locked in a classroom for four-and-a-half hours after his teacher told him it was his punishment because he was unwilling to write.
The boy’s family opened a missing persons case at the Matoks Police Station when the boy did not come home for several hours and they feared the worst.
“When he did not come home we looked for him all over. His friends said the last they had seen him was that morning at school. We were terrified because we read the news and we see what happens when children go missing,” his mother, Mapula Masoga, told Review.
The family reached out to anyone they could think of and late that afternoon friends of the family called Masoga to say they located Sekwati, but that he was locked inside a classroom. The teacher with the keys was nowhere to be found.
“We made our way to the school and found Sekwati behind the window security bars with people walking by calling him a monkey in a cage. We contacted the district office of the Department of Education who contacted the teacher to come and open the class,” Masoga said. She said the teacher was called and asked if there was something that she forgot at the school twice to which she said no, only when she was told of the boy did she remember that she had locked him in the classroom. After being confronted she ended the call and switched off her phone.
Sekwati’s concerned parents phoned the principal for assistance to open the classroom for the boy who had not been able to go to the bathroom, eat or drink anything for the four and a half hours he was locked up.
The family attempted to open a case at the Matoks Police Station but they were told that they cannot open a case because the police were unsure which type of case they needed to open. When BONUS contacted the Matoks Police Station it was confirmed no case was opened. They said the officer the parents spoke to was not on duty, however, they assured the matter would be followed up when he was back on duty.
Provincial Police Spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo, said a case of child abuse and negligence can be opened in such a situation. He urged the parents to return to the police station and open a case as soon as possible. BONUS attempted to contact the school but all attempts were unsuccessful.
Department of Education Spokesperson, Dr Naledzani Rasila, urged the parents to report the matter to the department at the Deputy Director General (DDG) District Coordination at (015) 290 9422, or to the District Senior Manager Mogalakwena at (015) 483 7500. He invited the family to report the matter with the department so they can take action, adding that the department sees the complaint in a serious light and want to investigate the matter and take action in such cases against teachers and other employees found to be guilty of negligence or other offences against children.
