Limpopo's education department hired more school staff without sex-offender checks than with them, and never referred abuse cases to child protection, a gender-equality watchdog found.
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What happened
The Commission for Gender Equality, a constitutional (Chapter 9) body, published a provincial investigation in 2026 after a complaint that the Limpopo Department of Education took no action against a principal accused of sexually violating staff and learners. It found that 474 people were appointed in 2025/2026 without being vetted against the National Register for Sex Offenders, against 227 who were vetted, and that the department confirmed it does not refer sexual-misconduct cases to the Department of Social Development as the national protocol and the Children's Act require. It also found the department had finalised only about 28% of the educator sexual-misconduct cases it reported (8 of 29) and has no central tool to track them. The Commission required every entity named to submit an action plan by 30 August 2026.
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Response
Contacted and made an on-record admission — exact wording not on record.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.