ActionSA Women’s Forum Supports Calls for Justice for Cwecwe
ActionSA Women’s Forum strongly condemns the horrific molestation of a 7-year-old girl on the premises of Matatiele’s Bergville College. We stand in unwavering support of calls for justice for young Cwecwe and demand that the perpetrators of this heinous crime be brought to book with the harshest possible sentence possible.
According to reports, the child was attacked while waiting for transport. Initially, the caretaker, principal, and driver were suspects. However, the caretaker and driver have since been cleared after fully cooperating with authorities. Disturbingly, it has now come to light that the principal is refusing to provide DNA samples. Even more troubling is the fact that the principal allegedly attempted to silence the mother, shifting blame onto her. There are also terrifying allegations that the child may have been drugged into unconsciousness before being assaulted.
It is deeply concerning that the school appears more focused on protecting its reputation rather than cooperating with law enforcement to ensure justice is served. This is unacceptable. Schools must be a place of safety for our children, not spaces where they are left vulnerable to predators.
As ActionSA, we have consistently advocated for zero tolerance against gender-based violence (GBV). Our policy on GBV is clear: perpetrators must face the full might of the law, victims must be protected and supported, and institutions must be held accountable when they fail to safeguard vulnerable individuals. We demand immediate action against those responsible for this atrocity and urge authorities to expedite the investigation to ensure that Cwecwe receives the justice she deserves.
We call on the Department of Basic Education and law enforcement agencies to ensure full compliance with the investigation and to take decisive action against any individual obstructing justice. ActionSA will not stand by while our children are subjected to such cruelty, and we will continue to fight for a South Africa where every child is safe and protected.
Justice For Cwecwe: Schools must protect, not betray
Every child deserves to be safe, and every parent or guardian deserves the peace of mind that when they send their child to school, they are sending them to a place of care, not a place of harm. Today, as thousands march across South Africa under the banner of #JusticeForCwecwe, we are forced to confront the hard truth that our schools are not always the places of safety they should be.
The attack on seven-year-old Cwecwe has shaken our country because it is every parent’s worst fear. But the march today is not only for her. It is for every child who has been failed and for every family left with no answers and no justice. It is a reminder that behind every headline is a young life shattered by the very people and systems meant to protect them.
A recent parliamentary response from Education MEC, Fundile Gade, confirms this is not an isolated tragedy. In the last year alone, twenty-two educators in the Eastern Cape were suspended for serious misconduct involving learners. Five of those cases involve sexual assault, three involved raping a learner, and three involve inappropriate relationships with learners. Some teachers have been dismissed, but many cases remain unresolved, with investigations still ongoing and disciplinary hearings delayed.
These numbers are unacceptable. They reflect a reactive rather than preventative system that moves too slowly when it should move urgently. Schools should never protect perpetrators or hide failures. They should protect children.
The call by Minister Siviwe Gwarube to change the law and ensure every adult who works with children is vetted against the National Sexual Offenders Register is not just welcome; it is long overdue.
But it cannot stop there. There must be clear consequences for those who cover up abuse, delay justice, or turn a blind eye.
Today’s march is a cry from South Africans who refuse to accept a society where children are unsafe. It calls for accountability, urgent reform, and real action to protect every learner. We stand with Cwecwe, her family, and every survivor who has been let down. This must be a turning point. Our children deserve nothing less.