Soweto parents demand answers after rape-accused teacher stays in class

Parents and community members gathered at a Soweto school on Tuesday, demanding answers over a teacher accused of raping a 9-year-old pupil who, they say, is still on the premises teaching other children. The protest follows an incident last week Thursday that the community says the school has not properly communicated with them about.

Speaking to eNCA (YouTube), a reporter at the scene said the community’s central complaint is the lack of communication from the school and the continued presence of the teacher in classrooms. Parents say the teacher should not be there while the accusation stands, calling it a safety risk to other children. The community has been at the school since morning trying to get answers from authorities.

The reporter said that when the child was taken to the local police station, no rape kits were available. The child was then taken to a local hospital, where it was confirmed that she had been raped.

A representative of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS), who was present at a meeting with school management, told eNCA that the organisation is disappointed with how the matter has been handled inside the school. He said the case has been running for about two weeks and that information had emerged suggesting other cases against the same teacher are pending. The Enquirer has not independently verified that claim.

The representative said COSAS wants to ensure that teaching and learning at the school are safe and protected.

School management was locked in a meeting with representatives while the protest continued outside. eNCA reported that it had tried to contact the Department of Education for comment but had not received a response by the time of broadcast. The Enquirer has also not been able to obtain a response from the department.

The source is an eNCA (YouTube) broadcast published on 20 October 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGCwJKcSLDA