News / Local
High School teacher flees sodomy storm
09 Apr 2014 at 06:17hrs | Views
A TEACHER at St Columba's High School in Bulawayo, who is suspected to be homosexual, allegedly sent graphic messages to pupils and has been accused of having sexual relationships with several boys at the school.
Nkosilathi Gadhlula, 26, from Bulawayo's Gwabalanda suburb, resigned from his post on Monday following an outcry from affected parents.
His brother Shepherd yesterday declined to talk to reporters.
He said Gadhlula had gone away on a long visit and he did not know when he would return.
Gadhlula appeared in court on April 4 facing charges of contravening the Post and Telecommunications Act after he exchanged graphic messages with a pupil in his class (name withheld).
He pleaded guilty to the charges before magistrate Sibongile Msipha and was fined $200 (or three months in prison).
A copy of the messages has been availed to Chronicle and the boy's parents have since removed him from the school and sent him to Australia.
His mother declined to talk to Chronicle yesterday.
A source at St Columba's said Gadhlula, a Ndebele teacher, was very close to pupils and no one suspected he could be abusing them.
"He seemed to get along very well with them and no one believed rumours that he was gay when they started circulating last year. He was good at his job and we all trusted him with the children," said a teacher who asked not to be named.
A number of pupils said three boys in Form Three (names withheld) were Gadhula's "girlfriends."
"One of the boys told us he was in love with teacher Gadhlula. He said the teacher was his sweetheart," said a pupil.
Excerpts of the messages he allegedly exchanged with his pupil are in Chronicle's possession.
Bulawayo Provincial Education Director Dan Moyo - who comments on behalf of schools in the province – said he was yet to get a report on the matter.
Gadhlula was not answering his phone yesterday.
In court, prosecutor Caroline Matenga said during the period between February 8 and 16, the accused sent texts to the juvenile who was a Form 4 pupil in his class.
"The parents of the minor were suspicious about the juvenile's behaviour so they intercepted his messages and discovered that he was receiving highly charged sexual messages from an unknown source.
"They questioned the boy about the source of the messages and he confessed that they were from his teacher," she said.
Matenga said his parents reported the matter to the police since they felt that the accused was abusing their child.
"The parents reported the matter to the police leading to the accused's arrest."
The juvenile continued receiving the messages while he was in Australia after he left the country on February 4.
The messages were printed and produced as exhibits in court.
Matenga read one of the messages which said: "Can you please send me your nude pics and I mic you dude."
Although the parents had reported him for sexual abuse, he was convicted of the lesser crime of contravening the Post and Telecommunications Act (sending offensive text messages).
Nkosilathi Gadhlula, 26, from Bulawayo's Gwabalanda suburb, resigned from his post on Monday following an outcry from affected parents.
His brother Shepherd yesterday declined to talk to reporters.
He said Gadhlula had gone away on a long visit and he did not know when he would return.
Gadhlula appeared in court on April 4 facing charges of contravening the Post and Telecommunications Act after he exchanged graphic messages with a pupil in his class (name withheld).
He pleaded guilty to the charges before magistrate Sibongile Msipha and was fined $200 (or three months in prison).
A copy of the messages has been availed to Chronicle and the boy's parents have since removed him from the school and sent him to Australia.
His mother declined to talk to Chronicle yesterday.
A source at St Columba's said Gadhlula, a Ndebele teacher, was very close to pupils and no one suspected he could be abusing them.
"He seemed to get along very well with them and no one believed rumours that he was gay when they started circulating last year. He was good at his job and we all trusted him with the children," said a teacher who asked not to be named.
A number of pupils said three boys in Form Three (names withheld) were Gadhula's "girlfriends."
"One of the boys told us he was in love with teacher Gadhlula. He said the teacher was his sweetheart," said a pupil.
Excerpts of the messages he allegedly exchanged with his pupil are in Chronicle's possession.
Bulawayo Provincial Education Director Dan Moyo - who comments on behalf of schools in the province – said he was yet to get a report on the matter.
Gadhlula was not answering his phone yesterday.
In court, prosecutor Caroline Matenga said during the period between February 8 and 16, the accused sent texts to the juvenile who was a Form 4 pupil in his class.
"The parents of the minor were suspicious about the juvenile's behaviour so they intercepted his messages and discovered that he was receiving highly charged sexual messages from an unknown source.
"They questioned the boy about the source of the messages and he confessed that they were from his teacher," she said.
Matenga said his parents reported the matter to the police since they felt that the accused was abusing their child.
"The parents reported the matter to the police leading to the accused's arrest."
The juvenile continued receiving the messages while he was in Australia after he left the country on February 4.
The messages were printed and produced as exhibits in court.
Matenga read one of the messages which said: "Can you please send me your nude pics and I mic you dude."
Although the parents had reported him for sexual abuse, he was convicted of the lesser crime of contravening the Post and Telecommunications Act (sending offensive text messages).
Source - chronicle
