The spate of reported cases of sexual misconduct by educators at schools across the country has reached an appalling state.
In August and September 2025, the education departments in five provinces, namely: Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal, the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, suspended educators over allegations of sexually abusing learners and in some instances, impregnating them.
These incidents have let to the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube calling for swift action against educators abusing their positions of trust.
Let’s begin in Gauteng, where a male School Governing Body (SGB) appointed educator from Sunward Park High School in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, was dismissed on 11 September 2025, following allegations that he sexually assaulted and verbally abused female learners at the school.
The incidents are alleged to have occurred on school grounds and outside the premises since 2024, with the most recent incident having allegedly taken place in August 2025.
The educator was suspended on 28 August 2025, following a complaint lodged by parents at the school.
Following investigations, he was found guilty of contravening the Code of Professional Ethics and was dismissed.
The Gauteng education department said the decision to dismiss the educator would be communicated to the South African Council for Educators (SACE) with a formal recommendation that his name be permanently removed from the SACE register.
More investigations are underway in Gauteng, following reports that a learner at Bronkhorstspruit Primary School, was allegedly sexually assaulted by an educator in September.
The educator was arrested and appeared in court on the 3rd of September 2025.
At Tiyelelani Secondary School in Soshanguve, classes were disrupted by learners, following allegations that three educators sexually assaulted leaners and ill-treated parents.
In the Eastern Cape, seven educators at St John’s College have been placed on precautionary suspension, pending investigations of alleged sexual misconduct with learners, which resulted in several pregnancies.
The reports emerged after pupils at the school staged protests, demanding accountability and protection for their peers.
At JS Skenjana Senior Secondary School in the same province, allegations of sexual harassment reported on social media are being investigated.
In Limpopo, A 51-year-old male Principal from the Limpopo Capricorn District was arrested and faces a charge of sexual assault, after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 17-year-old grade 12 learner in August.
In KwaZulu Natal, the Department of Education there, has launched investigations into two male educators at Thubalethu Secondary School in the Pinetown District, who are alleged to have been molesting female learners.
It has been further alleged that these incidents were reported earlier in September to the SGB, but to date, no action has been taken.
In August, The Mpumalanga Department of Education suspended a teacher from a school in eMbalenhle, after allegations of sexual assault of learners.
Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarbe said learners must be safeguarded at all times and be empowered to speak out against violations suffered in and around spaces of learning.
“We have to crack down on this hard and we also need parents to come forward and report these heinous crimes against learners” said Gwarube.
“One of the things that officials will say is that to guarantee a successful prosecution you need a victim to come forward and explain what happened, the challenge is when the perpetrators approach families of the victims and convince them to not report the cases to the police, which then hinders the South African Police Services’ (SAPS) ability to have a successful prosecution” said Gwarube.
“As Basic Education we need to have a holistic way of dealing with these matters, because this is endemic, systemic and societal. We must engage parents and convince them to report the crimes in efforts to have successful prosecutions of perpetrators” Gwarube added.
She went on to say failure to ensure successful prosecution gives the perpetrators a chance to relocate to other provinces and repeat their offences. She has, however, promised that any person who abuses their position of trust will face the full might of the law.
Gwarube said she is working closely with the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi regarding the urgency to update and publish the Sexual Offenders Register.“One of the stumbling blocks that Minister Kubayi has encountered is the fact that while she may have wanted to make that Sexual Offenders Register public, there’s a change in law that needs to happen” said Gwarube.