The number of sexual offenders discovered working with children in Gauteng schools has risen from 4 last year to 12 this year. This alarming increase highlights that, although schools should be safe environments for learners to learn and grow, in Gauteng, they have become hunting grounds for sexual offenders and predators.
One sexual offender is one too many, 12 is an emergency.
These shocking figures were revealed during a Gauteng Education Portfolio Committee meeting, where members were briefed on the ongoing progress of vetting individuals working at schools.
This follows the increasing pressure from the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng to ensure that everyone working with children gets vetted against the Child Protection Register and the National Register for Sex Offenders.
While we acknowledge the slight increase in the number of people vetted, from 3,750 to 7,871, we remain concerned that this still represents only 9% of the 86,367 departmental employees legally required to be vetted. This is merely a drop in the ocean.
The identification of 12 sexual offenders reinforces the DA’s urgent call for the completion of the vetting process. It is unacceptable that the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has allowed these offenders to work with children, especially since the Children’s Act mandates that individuals must undergo vetting before gaining access to minors.
The DA-led Gauteng provincial government would collaborate with the Department of Justice to ensure quick vetting of all school employees. Every learner deserves a safe learning environment, free from violence and abuse, and this will not be compromised.
The DA will continue to pressure GDE until every person is vetted and every sexual offender is fired and blacklisted not to work with children again.