Johannesburg - A former award-winning photojournalist and school sports photographer at the prestigious St Andrew’s College in Makhanda, Eastern Cape is expected to apply for bail on Monday after he was accused of the rape of a 7-year-old boy.
The college has placed him on precautionary suspension.
Eastern Cape SAPS spokesperson Majola Nkohli confirmed that the 49-year-old, well-known triathlete, was arrested and briefly appeared in the Makhanda Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning. He is facing charges of rape and will remain in custody.
“The man was arrested on Sunday, July 30, for his alleged involvement in raping a 7-year-old boy last year (2022). The circumstances surrounding the incident are forming part of the investigation. The accused is being held at Waainek Prison in Makhanda,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Head of Advocacy at Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA), Luke Lamprecht, said he was encouraged by the disciplinary action St Andrews was taking against the staff member.
“The school has suspended him as he has access to children. He performed a social media, marketing, and photography role at the school, which will fully co-operate with the state investigation. He has been charged with the very serious crime of child rape, which carries a life sentence. The school must do everything in their power to protect the children in their care,” he said.
Lamprecht said WMACA trusted that the school had learnt from the dereliction of its duty of care, as was widely publicised, with the tragic suicide of a pupil, which resulted in the ongoing organised crime investigation, Opeation Nemo, against a former water polo coach who was arrested for the alleged sexual abuse of a pupil at the school.
Thomas Kruger was found hanged at St Andrew’s in November 2018. News reports indicated that his parents, Charl and Elizabeth Kruger, had instituted a R60 million damages claim against the school and its water polo coach, David McKenzie. The family attribute their child’s ‘state of mind’ at the time of his death to being sexually molested and groomed by McKenzie. Other respondents in the damages claim include Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and the Eastern Cape MEC of Education.
Lamprecht added that WMACA had done much work in exposing criminal acts of child abuse at top South African Schools, and worked with SAPS on Operation Nemo, to investigate a ring of child predators at prominent schools.
In a letter to parents, penned by St Andrew’s headmaster Tom Hamilton, the school stated that the alleged sexual offences had taken place at a private, off-campus residence. Hamilton added that the school had been informed about the incident over the weekend, and that police had arrested the staff member.
In the letter, Hamilton wrote:: “We do not at this stage have any knowledge of reportable behaviour having occurred at St Andrew’s College or at St Andrew’s Prep during the time of the individual’s employment, but we will conduct our own investigation and we will be bringing disciplinary proceedings against him. We believe that it is essential that he should not be at work or be on our campus until this matter has been fully investigated and court pronouncements have been made. We take these allegations very seriously and, after interviewing the individual concerned on Saturday evening 29 July, I placed him on precautionary suspension. The man, who cannot be named until he pleads in court, is an award-winning former community newspaper sports photographer and a triathlete.”
The school’s website states: “St Andrew’s College is an innovative independent school. The school is situated in Makhanda (Grahamstown), in the heart of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. This premium Anglican boarding school caters for over 450 pupils from across the globe. From Grade 8 to Matric, pupils experience individual attention with a focus on fostering individual talent. The school is passionate about ensuring that each boy is schooled for life, develops character, and strives to reach his full potential. The school motto is Nec Aspera Terrent (Difficulties do not dismay us) – this ideal of fearless acceptance of challenge sums up what the school aims to instil in its pupils as preparation for future life.”