Mpumalanga Teacher Sacked After Kissing Grade 7 Pupil
A primary school teacher in Mpumalanga has been dismissed from his post after being found guilty of misconduct involving a 13-year-old Grade 7 pupil. Andries Lodewick Lombaard, an English teacher at Laerskool Klipfontein in Emalahleni, faced disciplinary action initiated by the Mpumalanga Department of Education.
The case was referred to the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) following allegations that Lombaard kissed the pupil on two separate occasions earlier this year. ELRC arbitrator Moraka Abel Makgaa presided over the matter, ultimately finding Lombaard guilty of misconduct and ruling him unfit to work with children.
During the arbitration hearing, the Grade 7 pupil provided a detailed account of her interactions with Lombaard. She testified that Lombaard had been her English teacher earlier in 2024, but was no longer teaching her at the time of the hearing. She stated that their relationship became closer in November 2024, evolving into communication via WhatsApp statuses and Snapchat, where they exchanged text messages and pictures.
The pupil testified that the first kissing incident occurred in either February or March of this year in the storeroom connected to Lombaard’s classroom. According to her testimony, the teacher initiated the kiss, and she reciprocated. She claimed a second similar incident took place a few days later.
The 13-year-old confided in another pupil about the incidents, who then reported the matter to the school’s aftercare worker, Natalie Pienaar. Pienaar subsequently questioned the 13-year-old, who admitted to the kissing. Pienaar then informed the pupil's mother about the allegations.
Adding another layer to the account, the complainant testified that she and Lombaard continued to communicate even after the alleged incidents became known. The pupil even penned a letter to Lombaard, apologising because she feared he might believe she had deliberately disclosed the incidents to others. However, after her mother discovered that WhatsApp messages were still being exchanged between her and Lombaard, she instructed her to delete them.
Natalie Pienaar corroborated the majority of the pupil's evidence. Another witness, Denesy van Dyk, also supported her version of events.
In his defence, Lombaard vehemently denied any intimate or special relationship with the pupil and rejected the allegations of kissing outright. He testified that the 13-year-old had never visited his classroom alone. He further denied communicating with the pupil before or after the alleged incidents.
Lombaard offered an alternative explanation for the messages, claiming they were intended for his two estranged girlfriends. He suggested that the pupil may have fabricated the allegations because she had a crush on him.
Despite Lombaard's denials, the ELRC found the pupil's testimony and supporting evidence to be credible, leading to his dismissal. The ruling underscores the seriousness with which such allegations are treated within the education system and the commitment to safeguarding the well-being of pupils.
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