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Every child deserves to be safe, and every parent or guardian deserves the peace of mind that when they send their child to school, they are sending them to a place of care, not a place of harm. Today, as thousands march across South Africa under the banner of #JusticeForCwecwe, we are forced to confront the hard truth that our schools are not always the places of safety they should be.

The attack on seven-year-old Cwecwe has shaken our country because it is every parent’s worst fear. But the march today is not only for her. It is for every child who has been failed and for every family left with no answers and no justice. It is a reminder that behind every headline is a young life shattered by the very people and systems meant to protect them.

A recent parliamentary response from Education MEC, Fundile Gade, confirms this is not an isolated tragedy. In the last year alone, twenty-two educators in the Eastern Cape were suspended for serious misconduct involving learners. Five of those cases involve sexual assault, three involved raping a learner, and three involve inappropriate relationships with learners. Some teachers have been dismissed, but many cases remain unresolved, with investigations still ongoing and disciplinary hearings delayed.

These numbers are unacceptable. They reflect a reactive rather than preventative system that moves too slowly when it should move urgently. Schools should never protect perpetrators or hide failures. They should protect children.

The call by Minister Siviwe Gwarube to change the law and ensure every adult who works with children is vetted against the National Sexual Offenders Register is not just welcome; it is long overdue.

But it cannot stop there. There must be clear consequences for those who cover up abuse, delay justice, or turn a blind eye.

Today’s march is a cry from South Africans who refuse to accept a society where children are unsafe. It calls for accountability, urgent reform, and real action to protect every learner. We stand with Cwecwe, her family, and every survivor who has been let down. This must be a turning point. Our children deserve nothing less.

Issued by Horatio Hendricks MPL - DA Shadow MEC for Education