In the wake of a rise in reported cases of sexual violence in schools, including the allegedly rape of a seven-year-old girl, civil society and government leaders are calling for urgent and systemic reform of how schools protect pupils.
The grade two learner, referred to as “Cwecwe”, was allegedly raped while waiting for transport at Bergview College in Matatiele, Eastern Cape, last October. The incident came into the spotlight last month when the child’s mother appeared on a Hope Revolution podcast expressing disappointment at the way the school had handled the assault.
The hashtag #JusticeForCwecwe has gained significant traction on social media and prompted a petition that has garnered over 243 000 signatures, calling on the basic education department to improve its school safety measures.
“Cwecwe’s story is a painful reminder of the injustices that plague our society. We demand justice, not just for Cwecwe, but for all those who have been silenced, marginalised and oppressed,” read a comment left on the petition’s page.
Nonprofit organisation Sonke Gender Justice has criticised the “shortcomings” of the justice system and is advocating for increased oversight by the basic education department on school safety protocols.
“Schools must be safe havens of learning and development — instead they are becoming crime scenes where children suffer unspeakable violations,” said the organisation’s co-executive director, Bafana Khumalo.
According to the Eastern Cape department of basic education’s spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima, the sector has several measures in place to address and prevent sexual abuse in schools, such as the National School Safety Framework.
“This framework serves as a management tool for education officials, principals and school governing bodies to identify and manage risks related to violence, including sexual abuse,” Mtima said.
A 66-page publication by public interest law centre Section 27 and the Centre for Child Law provides a guide on sexual abuse for children and families.
“Legal literacy is an important aspect of creating awareness to report incidents of sexual violence,” said Sections 27’s head of education Zeenat Sujee.
According to Cwecwe’s mother, she took the girl to hospital after she said she felt pain when she returned home from school. A medical examination confirmed she had been raped.
The mother said when she and the child’s father reported the incident to the school, instead of providing support, it gave the family a transfer letter, which they had not requested. The principal allegedly advised the mother to keep the matter quiet to “protect the school’s image”.
In a statement last Friday, parliament’s portfolio committee on basic education said it had received a briefing from the Eastern Cape education department, which said it had become aware of the incident through a whistleblower.
“The [school] principal claimed he reported the incident at the Thuthuzela Care Centre and SAPS [South African Police Service], but no trace of this could be found at the time,” the committee said.
Thuthuzela Care Centres are facilities introduced as a critical part of South Africa’s anti-rape strategy, aiming to help victims and aid them in building a case ready for successful prosecution.
In response to public pressure, the Eastern Cape department of basic education deregistered Bergview College last month, but soon retracted this after the school initiated legal action challenging the decision.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu confirmed last week that DNA samples had been collected from three suspects, including the school principal. But no arrests have been made.
Afrikaner rights lobby group AfriForum, which has supported the school principal, said it was dissatisfied with the police investigation and argued that authorities had been hunting for the perpetrator in the wrong place.
In a letter addressed to the Eastern Cape’s provincial police commissioner, a copy of which the Mail & Guardian has seen, AfriForum’s Gerrie Nel, who heads its private prosecution unit, alleges that Cwecwe was probably not assaulted at Bergview College but at a community party.
Nel wrote that, based on information given by the child’s mother, “any investigator, let alone a detective who specialises in sexual offences against children, is capable of analysing these facts and reaching the unassailable conclusion that the child was conceivably not raped on 14 October 2024, as alleged, but rather later in the week”.
“The child victim of rape has been let down but so has our client whose life is being destroyed by the relentless social media disinformation campaign,” Nel added.
Commenting on AfriForum’s claims, Sonke Gender Justice’s Khumalo said: “The school seems to be resistant to collaborate with the investigation. Let authorities carry out their investigation so justice can prevail.”
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube recently announced a proposal to make the screening of all school staff against the National Register for Sex Offenders mandatory. The move is part of a broader initiative to ensure that those working in educational institutions do not pose a threat to children.
“Schools must be spaces of safety and trust, not fear,” Gwarube said in a media briefing last week. “We owe it to our children to prevent harm before it happens.”
The rollout of the National Register for Sex Offenders to the public was initially set for February 2025. But confidentiality provisions in the Sexual Offences and Related Matters Act have delayed the release.
The register is meant to serve as a protective tool, preventing known offenders from gaining employment in child-centred environments like schools.
According to Sonke Gender Justice, without public access, its effectiveness is hampered.
“We’ve seen too many cases where offenders simply move between schools or provinces. We need a national system that is not only functional but accessible,” Khumalo said.
The department of basic education has indicated it is working with the department of justice to expedite the public release of the register.
A recent report by the Education Labour Relations Council said there had been a 35.4% increase to 111 in cases of teacher-perpetrated abuse and sexual harassment in 2024-25, compared with the previous year.
In parliament last year, the basic education department reported that between April and June 2024, 91 children were reportedly raped on school premises, underscoring the vulnerability of learners in educational institutions.
The department of basic education said it would take additional steps to vet teachers against the national register for sex offenders
