Teacher who was on the run has been arrested for alleged rape of pupil

Limpopo Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed the arrest of 58-year-old teacher on Monday, 31 March 2025.

The teacher was arrested on Monday afternoon for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old female pupil in Limpopo’s Capricorn District.

This arrest follows a manhunt by the police to arrest the suspect.

Investigations into the teacher

The 58-year-old suspect has been arrested after being on the run since earlier this month, following an investigation by the detectives from the police’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped several times between November 2024 and March 2025.

The teacher was apprehended in Polokwane. He is set to appear before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on a charge of rape.

“We will do everything to ensure justice prevails for our young girl. We will never allow anyone to molest children under our watch.

“Our specialised FCS unit will ensure that we have a watertight case to ensure that justice prevails in this matter.

“The SA Police Service is still committed to protecting the most vulnerable sector of our society against perpetrators of gender-based violence in this province.

“The FCS will continue to work closely with the social workers to ensure that the family and victim receive adequate psycho-social support,” said Hadebe.

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Minister of Basic Education

This comes after Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube delivered a keynote address at the Uyinene Mrwetyana Commemorative Lecture at Kingswood High School on Monday. Uyinene was tragically raped and murdered in 2019.

”We have been made aware of children who have been sexually assaulted in schools by adults who are meant to protect them,” said Gwarube in her address.

The minister said work still needs to be done to create safer communities for children and women.

She emphasised that schools should not be a place to hide sexual predators and that everyone who comes into contact with children should be beyond reproach.

“We cannot simply be angry, but we must let our anger fuel us into action. As elected leaders, we must relentlessly pursue creating safe places for all our children. We must do so using the laws and the policies that we adopt,” Gwarube said.