By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga visited Matatiele to address the recent tragic incidents involving the rape of school children.
This follows the rape of a 7-year-old girl, allegedly in a classroom at Bergview College, an independent school in Matatiele, last October.
Three suspects, including the school principal, have been identified as people who were in close proximity to the girl on the day of the assault, intensifying the calls for accountability and justice.
Addressing the media in Matatiele on Thursday, the minister said her department received comprehensive reports from both police and social development officials regarding the case.
DNA samples have been collected from the driver and caretaker, and recently the school principal, who initially reportedly refused to submit his DNA.
Chikunga said there were plans to obtain samples from additional suspects who might have had contact with Cwecwe during the period of the incident(s).
“The samples must be taken so as to exonerate people or link people to the case.”
The minister emphasised that the investigation would not be limited to school staff.
She urged police to expand their investigation into the heinous crime and Cwecwe’s case is not an isolated incident.”
The minister criticised the school principal for failing to report the incident promptly according to established protocols.
According to Chikunga, the mother reported the case, but the principal did not inform senior education officials until they visited the school on the 19th.
“The mother reported the case, [the principal] who was supposed immediately to report to the seniors, and [other education] structures about it, didn’t.”
She accused the principal of only reporting the rape when officials from the department of education visited the school.
Chikunga referenced President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration that gender-based violence and femicide should be treated with the same urgency as a pandemic.
She additionally outlined several initiatives that have been implemented to address gender-based violence in the country.
These include a prevalence study on gender-based violence, a National Strategic Plan with six pillars, rapid response teams, and a recently launched gender-based violence and femicide dashboard.
The government has also introduced a 100-day challenge approach where identified cases must be resolved within that timeframe.