A school principal in Swaziland
has been reported to police after allegedly giving a 20-year-old female student
nine strokes of the cane on the buttocks.
The incident reportedly
happened at the Herefords High School, according to a report in the Swazi Observer newspaper
on Wednesday (15 June 2016).
The newspaper said the
young woman who they named, ‘was badly injured after the thrashing and a case
of assault has been opened with the Buhleni Police,’ against Principal Colsile
Maphanga.
The newspaper quoted an
anonymous teacher at the school who said the alleged assault happened on Monday
13 June 2016. ‘After assembly, the said pupil was called by a teacher to go to
the deputy’s office. She was taken to the principal’s office, apparently
because she is troublesome,’ the teacher said.
The newspaper reported, ‘She
was given nine strokes on the buttocks by the principal while the deputy helped
her by holding the pupil’s hands as she was made to lie down, said the source.’
The Observer reported the young woman’s father, ‘said the bruises were
not only visible but also bad as he claimed his daughter had difficulty sitting
down’.
The newspaper reported Maphanga
disputed all the claims laid against her.
Corporal punishment in
Swazi schools is widespread and there have been a number of bizarre cases
reported in the kingdom’s media in recent years.
As recently as September
2015, the Times reported a
17-year-old school pupil died after allegedly being beaten at school. The pupil
reportedly had a seizure.
In March 2015, a primary
school teacher at the Florence Christian Academy was charged with causing grievous bodily harm
after allegedly giving 200 strokes of the cane to a 12-year-old pupil on her
buttocks and all over her body.
In February 2015, the
headteacher of Mayiwane High School
Anderson Mkhonta reportedly admitted giving 15 strokes to a
form 1 pupil for not wearing a neck tie properly.
In April 2015, parents reportedly complained
to the Ndlalane Primary School after a teacher beat pupils for not
following his instruction and shaving their hair.
In October 2014, 20 pupils were thrashed before they sat an examination because they had been absent
from school studying for the exam the previous day.
Girls at Mpofu High School were reportedly flogged
by teachers on their bare flesh and if they resisted they were chained down so
the beating could continue. They said they received up to 40 strokes at a time.
In 2011, it was reported that Edward
Khayoni, Principal at Elangeni High School, had administered public floggings
to adults who dated girls from his school. The men reportedly were forced to
attend in front of the entire school, lie down on a bench and receive a
whipping. The girls were also flogged.
In March 2016, it was reported there
had been 4,556 cases of ‘severe corporal punishment’ of children in Swaziland’s
schools over the past four years.
See also
SWAZI SCHOOL ‘TORTURES’ STUDENTS
CHILDREN CHAINED AND FLOGGED BARE
PROBE VICIOUS SCHOOL BEATINGS
SCHOOL FLOGGINGS OUT OF CONTROL
SCHOOL HEAD PUBLICLY FLOGS ADULTS
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