Rape scandals rocks Hentie Cilliers Hoërskool in Virginia

The once reputational Hentie Cilliers Hoërskool in Virginia, renowned for its moral values and esteemed reputation in the Free State Province, has been shaken by a scandal involving rape.

Kasi Voice News has it on good authority that Hentie Cilliers School has been rocked up by numerous rape scandals that have been kept under the radar.

A 17-year-old boy from Hentie Cilliers Hoërskoel, who is a grade 12 learner was raped by a 27-year-old teacher last month, March 15.

Allegedly, the sexual abuse happened outside the school.

It is said the boy learner has been absent from school for a long time. When the school inquired about his absenteeism the learner alleged that he had been bullied and sexually abuse by the teacher.

Speaking to Kasi Voice News, sources [school pupils] who spoke on conditions of anonymity, revealed that they are either threatened or promised to be suspended from school if they let the cat out of the bag of illicit activities taking place at the school.

The recent rape accusations against a Hentie Cilliers Hoerskool teacher who is also a rugby coach for allegedly raping a 17-year-old learner have stirred the pot on social media and grabbed the attention of the Virginia community.

According to the Lejweleputswa police spokesperson, captain Stephen Thakeng, the incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, 15 March last year.

“We can confirm that a case of rape was registered at Virginia police, and transferred to Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit for further investigations,” added Thakeng.

On Wednesday, April 10th, the 27-year-old teacher was arrested and appeared before the Virginia Magistrate Court on Friday, April 12th. He was granted R3 000 bail on first appearance and the case has been remanded to next week Monday, April 22nd.

The Free State Education confirmed being aware of the reported rape ordeal and condemned the alleged sexual abuse of a 17-year-old learner by the suspended educator.

“The department is working with the school management and SGB to establish facts around the matter. We condemn any form of sexual abuse of learners in our schools. Schools are supposed to be centres of learning where children are moulded and nurtured to be responsible adults not be subjected to any form of abuse and bullying,” said Howard Ndaba, FS Education Department spokesperson.

Ndaba said the department will leave no stone unturned in rooting out any form of sexual abuse in schools, “The protection of learners is a primary responsibility for all of us. It is time to move from indignation to action.”

Following this rape incident, community members staged a protest outside the premises of Hoërskool Hentie Cilliers over racism and sexual abuse against learners by teachers.

BREAKING‼️ANCYL, community members picketing outside the premises of Hoërskool Hentie Celliers in Virginia, Free State over racism & sexual abuse against learners by school teachers#rape #Trending #Justice pic.twitter.com/IPZ3BomDim

— Kgosana Moeketsi (@kgosana_wonders) April 16, 2024

‘Rape rife’ – Order of the day at Henties

Several pupils told Kasi Voice News that rape was rife at the school but many pupils feared to report their ordeal.

It is further alleged that another educator who also raped a learner committed suicide in 2021.

“This is not for the first for the first time this incident happens. The previous educator named Vermaak, even lost his education license (South African Council for Educators registration) after he impregnated a school learner and he then pointed a gun in his head and killed himself, this is the third case where educators sleep with learners, we need to stand up against these illegal acts,” said one of the concerned parents.

The pupils said the rapes occurred during and after school.

Following the scandal, instead of releasing the much-anticipated statement, the school deactivated their Facebook page in what one might call an avoidance of a backlash. This indeed left a lot of questions on the integrity and transparency of the school, with some of the Facebook posts reading “Nothing to fear, nothing to hide.” and “They’re just protecting one of their own.”

The school has denied these allegations, dismissing them as rumors and pressuring the school pupils not to speak out about the issue or risk having their badges confiscated.

One female teacher from the school sent a voice-note message in the matric council group, and wittily instructed them not to engage with anyone who may have questions regarding the matter. In the widely circulated voice-note, she also added that anyone who dares to defy those orders would be stripped of their matric council status.

“One may wonder why the school’s learners have not been as vocal as the rest of the community on the matter. The truth is, learners were forced to sign amended code of conducts with new rules on lying about/contributing to lies about teachers amongst others.

Undoubtedly, this is an intimidation tactic so that learners do not express their feelings and/or show support to their fellow matriculant out of fear of suspension,” one of the sources revealed to Kasi Voice News.

Racial slur at Henties

Past and present pupils from Henties Cilliers have opened up about discrimination experienced at the hands of staff and fellow pupil at the school.

Sources within the school who asked for their identities not to be disclosed have raised flags about the racial segragation at the school and how black learners are underlooked.

They accused the same educator who sent the voice-note of imposing racism against black matric council learners.

Their statements were backed by the teacher’s recent behaviour towards learners of colour within the matric council.

This included, but not limited to, refusing to engage to them, and only engaging (holding meetings) with the white matric council learners.

It has been brought to the attention of Kasi Voice News that there now appears to be division within the school’s matric council whereby one race does not interact with the other.

Upon further research and investigation, Kasi Voice News discovered more unreported alleged related incidents from some of the former and current learners of the school against the accused and other teachers.

“We sometime get inappropriate remarks from educators about our bodies and how we dress, and they (educators) touch us inappropiriate and we are at sometime afraid to report these incidents,” says a learner.

One recalled incident was when one male teacher advised female learners to wear “spaghetti straps and revealing tops because they were hot”.

“The same teacher would go on to tell girls how good they looked in “tight clothes” and should stop wearing baggy outfit,” said a second learner.

(Additional reporting by Thomas Lethoba).