Due to allegations of abusing a female student, the resident pastor and teacher at St. Peter’s Combined Christian School in Mohlaletsi village, Sekhukhune District, Limpopo, South Africa, has been placed on administrative leave.
On November 12, 2023, the resident pastor, Diketso Matibidi, is accused of flogging the Grade 12 student for being late to the Sunday church session.
In front of the entire congregation, Diketso reportedly called out the student before allegedly beating her with a sjambok, a kind of whip that is frequently used in South Africa.
The event has infuriated the student’s parents, who claim their traumatised daughter is now unable to concentrate on her schoolwork.
They have also berated the school for not responding to the issue and claiming that Diketso has not been disciplined.
At first, the school denied that the incident had happened, saying the student’s claims lacked substantiation.
Other classmates, however, stepped forward to support the student’s account by claiming to have seen the beating.
The incident has sparked outrage among parents and community members, who called for Diketso to be removed from the school and for the school to take disciplinary action against him.
They also demanded that the school provide counselling and support to the victim of the beating.
In a statement released to the media on Tuesday, November 14, the school says it has instituted a disciplinary hearing against the educator.
“A disciplinary hearing against the pastor is presently in progress, and the parent of the student implicated in the assault has been notified,” the statement said.
“The student will also undergo a medical assessment and the incident has been reported to the Police,” the institution said.
“We want to express our strong disapproval of Mr Matibidi’s behaviour, and we will address it with the seriousness it deserves.”