HEAD KICKED ME OUT FOR REPORTING TEACHER/PUPIL AFFAIR - PARENT

MBABANE – A parent has claimed that he was chased out of the head teacher’s office for raising concern over his stepdaughter’s affair with a teacher.

Mfanawemphi Mngometulu, a parent of a Form 5 pupil at Somnjalose High School, alleged that his stepdaughter was having an intimate relationship with a certain teacher at the school.
According to him, he found out about the alleged relationship after gaining access to his stepdaughter’s phone, which had suggesting conversations between her and the teacher.  Mngometulu mentioned that there were also voice recordings between the two. He claimed that a meeting was then convened between him, his wife, the head teacher and his stepdaughter, which, however, did not go as planned. He alleged that he was kicked out of the head teacher’s office.

He said this was after he questioned the head teacher on why the teacher had not joined them in the meeting to narrate his side of the story.  Mngometulu further stated that after finding out about the relationship, he confronted her stepdaughter, who then confessed to the relationship.  “I then decided to go to the school to have this reported but to my surprise, the head teacher chased me out of his office. He told me he would not be able to assist me as there was no proof that the messages and recordings I had were from the teacher,” he said. Mngometulu mentioned that as he had not received assistance from the head teacher, he went to the regional education offices (REO) to complain about the issue. He said he was disappointed when he reported the case as he was given a lot of paperwork to do without any explanation. “They told me that I needed to write a series of letters, first explaining the issue. I am disappointed because while I was trying to seek justice for my family, I have been turned into a laughing stalk and those who I am expecting to take this issue seriously did not,” he said.

Police

He mentioned that he had not yet reported the case to the police as he was seeking advice first on how to go about the case. Mngometulu further stated that means to meet up with the teacher were made. He said he called him several times to arrange a meeting but he never showed up.  “After I tried several times to meet up with him, one day my stepdaughter came back from school with a E100 note, which she claimed was from the teacher. According to my stepdaughter, the teacher said she needed to give it to me and tell me to buy myself alcohol. I reported all that to the head teacher but he did not do anything about it,”he said. Somnjalose High School Head teacher Macandza Mamba, denied the claims that he kicked the parents out of his office. He said, based on the evidence which was presented to him, he decided to have the REO deal with the case instead.

Recording

“It is not true that they were kicked out but rather, I told them that I could not recognise the voices on the voice recording they presented. I then told them that the REO, together with the police, would be the right people to address the matter. I then called the REO to update them on the issue and requested that they attended to their case,” Mamba said.  When questioned why he had not called in the teacher during his meeting with the parents, Mamba said this was because he could not accuse the teacher of a crime he too would have not been able to prove.  He said this was because it was a criminal offence to defame someone without evidence. He mentioned that the school did not condone any relationships between pupil and teachers.

“I hope that the REO, together with the police, would assist them get the answers they need. The school is willing to cooperate in any way we can,” he said. In an interview with this publication, Hhohho Regional Education Officer, Thulile Langwenya, confirmed the matter.  She said currently, the office only had the school’s side of the story and were hoping that the parents would show up and tell their side. “I only got back to the office and as a result I was not able to meet up with the parents when they came. For now, I only have the side from the school. They told me about the recordings and the head teacher narrated that he was not able to recognise the voice. I am hoping that the parents will also come to tell me their side of the story, in order to be able to deal with the matter,” she said. When questioned on if the school handled the issue well, she said she was not able to judge as yet until she could also listen to the parents, but based on the story told by the head teacher, it was handled well.  “I do not know the full story, but any matter which the school is not able to deal with should be referred to the REO,” she said.

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