Deputy head, teacher accused of sexually abusing pupils - trial date set for 5 Feb

The trial of a Beitbridge deputy school head and a teacher accused of sexually abusing two pupils has been set for February 5 at the regional court.

Deputy head Lifatsi Mbedzi (37) and teacher Forget Mbedzi (31)  at Kwalu Secondary School are accused of sexually abusing  two pupils aged 14 and 15 years.

The pupils are in form two at the school.

Both accused denied the charges of having sex with minors when they appeared before Mr Joseph Mabeza for initial remand.

They were both remanded out of custody on $50 bail each.

They were ordered to reside at their given addresses as part of the bail conditions and are to report at Beitbridge main police station twice a week.

Prosecutor Mr Johannes Tlou told the court that some time last year the deputy head invited the complainant who is aged 15 years to his office and proposed love to her.

The girl reportedly accepted the proposal and on several occasions he would invite her to his office where he molested her.

On June 8 at around 8pm, deputy head Mbedzi decided to move the relationship a gear up and visited the girl's home at Malusungane village.

He later asked the girl to accompany him back to his house and along the way he lured her into the bush where they became intimate.

He told the girl not to report the incident to anyone.

Mr Tlou said in the second incident, which occurred on June 2 last year, the other accused, Forget, who is a teacher at the same school spotted the complainant aged 14 years at the school sports grounds.

He then called her into his house where he proposed love. She then agreed and the accused allegedly locked the door and requested to be intimate with the complainant but she refused. He eventually lured her and they became intimate, after which he ordered her not to report to anyone.

The cases came to light in November last year during a police anti-sexual abuse campaign at the school. Police detectives received a tip off resulting in the duo's arrest.

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