– DA calls for probe into abuse allegations at uMinathi Christian College
– MEC must respond to written parliamentary question
– Pinetown Education District must investigate and report findings to Legislature
Note to Editors: Please note Sakhule Mngadi sound bites in English and isiZulu
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has initiated formal steps in response to deeply disturbing allegations of learner abuse, unlawful conduct and administrative irregularities at uMinathi Christian College – a private school operating in Hammarsdale (Durban Outer West) and Eston in the Zululand region.
The DA has received reports from multiple parents alleging that children have been subjected to physical abuse, including being beaten by teachers, cleaners, and the school owner. There are further allegations of learners being accused of theft without investigation, denied meals despite full fee payments and excluded from the classroom without proper disciplinary procedures.
One parent has reported that she has kept her child at home for two weeks. This after being moved between campuses without her knowledge and then suspended during exam preparation, without a proper hearing or the presence of the principal.
Even more concerning are claims that school staff boast about being “protected” by senior KZN education department officials and believe themselves to be untouchable. Parents who tried to raise the alarm with the department say they have received no assistance.
While uMinathi Christian College is a private institution, it operates within the legal framework of the South African Schools Act, the Children’s Act, and the Constitution. Section 10 of the Schools Act explicitly prohibits corporal punishment in all schools. Section 29 of the Constitution guarantees every learner’s right to basic education, and the Children’s Act criminalises all forms of abuse and neglect in environments where children are entrusted to adult care.
In light of the severity of these allegations, the DA has:
– Submitted formal written parliamentary questions (view here, here, here and here) to KZN Education MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, demanding clarity on departmental awareness, oversight and action taken to date.
– Written to the Chairperson of the KZN Legislature’s Education portfolio committee, requesting that a delegation be sent to both campuses of uMinathi Christian College to engage directly with aggrieved parents and;
– Called on the KZN Education Pinetown District Office to urgently investigate these allegations and table a full report before the Education portfolio committee without delay.
As part of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA is committed to ensuring that every learner in our province – regardless of whether they attend a public or private school – is protected by the law and treated with dignity and fairness. We will not tolerate a culture of abuse or impunity in any learning environment.
We urge MEC Hlomuka to prioritise this matter and to ensure that full accountability is enforced at every level – starting with district officials who failed to respond to parents’ desperate pleas for help.
If wrongdoing is confirmed, the DA expects that appropriate disciplinary action and, where necessary, criminal proceedings will follow. In the event that the MEC and his department fail to act, the DA will not rest until justice is done.