Lupane teacher freed over bedding girl (15)

A teacher at Ekuphumuleni Secondary School in Lupane, has been freed after he was found not guilty of bedding a 15 year old girl who was one of the pupils in his class.

The girl told the court that she was forced to lie against the teacher by police a development which led to the teacher's acquittal.

Charles Muchavaka (35), allegedly got himself into trouble after he proposed love to a 15-year-old female learner, who accepted the proposal and the two were alleged to have engaged in sex while at the teacher's cottage.

Muchavaka denied the charge when he appeared before Lupane resident magistrate Aelene Munamati.

The teacher later filed application for discharge saying the state failed to prove a case against him and pupil exonerated him.

He was then acquitted.

Sanders Sibanda for the state recently called the pupil to testify and she suddenly changed her statement, claiming the teacher never slept with her.

She said police officers investigating the case assaulted her to induce confession that the teacher had slept with her.

Sibanda told the court that the student lives at Jotsholo in Lupane and attends the same school where Muchavaka teaches.

It is alleged that the matter stemmed from the fact that the head at the school and other teachers suspected that some male teachers were sexually abusing students.

That is when it was discovered that the learner was not at school, although she had been seen earlier.

The head ordered that all teachers' rooms be searched and Muchavaka refused to have his searched.

On February 2 this year Muchavaka proposed love to the student and she accepted.

On February 5 he called her to his room, where he asked to engage in sex with her and she agreed.

The love affair was reportedly discovered when the head found out the girl was not at school during a roll call.

Efforts to locate her on the day failed, only for her to resurface the following day.

The head then took her to the police where she was questioned and revealed that she had been in the teacher's room at the school.

It is alleged that the girl told the police that she slept with the teacher and enjoyed the encounter.

The girl was taken to hospital for testing where a medical examination confirmed she had sex.

A medical report was compiled and a report was made to the police, leading to Muchavaka's arrest.