The Mpumalanga teacher who allegedly locked a grade one pupil in a strongroom has been released on R2000 bail. The pregnant teacher appeared briefly before the magistrate in Witbank.
She was arrested on Friday, two days after the incident. A psychologist claims the pupil could have difficulties in the future if not counselled.
The teacher is charged with a count of kidnapping and negligence. Fikile Nkambule allegedly locked the pupil in the school strongroom as a form of punishment and she forgot her there overnight. The grade one learner was only discovered the following day after parents raised the alarm.
“I have two children at the school one in grade six and another in grade two. It’s the first time something like this happens to a child here,” says a parent, Maria Mango.
The learner is reported to be aggressive towards other learners and has since been referred for counselling.
“The anger could be an attempt to process what has happened, its expressing his frustration. But one can just imagine that in that situation the child doesn’t know what’s happening, the uncertainty that creates a huge amount of stress and the prolonged period is also concerning that usually has an effect on the severity of trauma,” says counselling psychologist, Clarette Lubbe.
The provincial Basic Education Department has since suspended Nkambule.
