ANCWL calls on teachers to stop having sex with pupils

The ANC Women's League in KwaZulu-Natal has called on teachers to treat pupils like their daughters instead of seeing them as wives and girlfriends.

The league's provincial secretary Weziwe Thusi said the growing trend of teachers who have sexual relationships with pupils despite was a serious cause for concern and had to be condemned by society.

"We learnt with shock today’s media reports that a teacher from Mahlombe CP School in Nongoma is alleged to have been involved in a sexual relationship with a 14 year old learner from the same school and that he has paid her parents for having allegedly slept with her. This is really disturbing and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms it deserves," she said.

Thusi called for the Department of Education to deal with the matter swiftly.  

"We all know that it is a criminal offence to sleep with a minor. When cases of this nature occur, parents should report the culprits to the relevant authorities such as police, education and social development departments".

"We also urge school governing bodies and the department of education to ensure that cases of this nature are handled properly and that culprits are reported to the relevant authorities. The behaviour of these teachers is not only mentally destructive but also these teachers are exposing these children to infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases," she said.