Family seeks justice after their child was allegedly assaulted by an assistant teacher at Trotsville Primary in Tswelelang

    

Tswelelang - A Tswelelang family is seeking justice for their 5 year old child after he was allegedly assaulted by an assistant teacher at Trotsville Primary School 

A family representative, Mozanda Mokhuane, told Wolmaransstad Link that the young boy reported the incident to them and has been reluctant to go to school afterwards. Mokhuane said, the assistant teacher was later named as Ms Nania Mahiwa, standing in for the regular teacher who was away due to sickness

"On 2 June 2026, my 5-year-old brother returned home from school and reported to the family that he had been slapped by the teacher who was supervising his class while his regular teacher was absent due to illness. The teacher was later identified to us as Ms Mahiwa. Following the incident, my brother became reluctant and fearful about returning to school. Because he is only five years old, the family took his account seriously and became concerned about his emotional wellbeing and safety" - Mozanda Mokhuane, family representative 

After the incident, the family decided to keep their child at home until the regular teacher returned, whoever, the assistant teacher, Ms Nania Mahiwa allegedly removed the young boy again from class citing that, she won't be able to be around the boy who was afraid of him

A complaint was formally raised with the school, and the family expected the matter to be properly investigated and addressed, however, when Wolmaransstad Link contacted and engaged the school principal, Mondela Montshioa, he denied the alleged assault at the school and Montshioa said, the allegations are false and there is nothing to be investigated 

Montshioa briefly responded to questions sent to him by Wolmaransstad Link after we were informed that the assault of a child occurred in his school. It has been alleged that it's 3 children who were assaulted and kicked out of the classroom by the same assistant teacher, but only one family decided to take this matter forward 

"Miss Mahiwa never assaulted a learner at our school. Whatever narrative you were served, it is non- existent" - Trotsville Primary School head, Mondela Montshioa

 

When asked if he believes that the allegations were false, he said they as the school do not deny the allegations were false

"We do not deny they are false....I am saying, we don't deny the accusations, those accusations are false, intended to attack the institution and not really the educator. We have since survived such attacks for years. We are focused and shall never be deterred. On the national publication, when a false matter is publicized, it does not make it true, even lies get publicised" - Trotsville Primary School head, Mondela Montshioa 

When Wolmaransstad Link asked Montshioa if ever they had this matter investigated, this is his reply:

"Why should we investigate something false?" - Trotsville Primary School head, Mondela Montshioa

Wolmaransstad Link asked Mozanda Mokhuane, a family representative, as to how this matter affects them and she said, "it does not affect them", their main concern is the wellbeing of their child

"It does not affect us. Our concern remains with the wellbeing and protection of the affected child and ensuring that the allegations are properly investigated. We are simply seeking justice for the child, accountability, and appropriate action based on the findings" - Mozanda Mokhuane, family representative

To further investigate the matter, Wolmaransstad Link also asked Mokhuane if ever the child showed any signs of injuries on his face and body to verify the assault allegations, this is how she responded 

" No, there were no visible injuries or marks on his face or body. However, our concern was also about the emotional impact of what he reported. He became fearful and reluctant to return to school after the alleged incident. The child is still able to attend school, but the incident affected him emotionally. There was a period when he was afraid and reluctant to return. Although he could physically attend school, we could not ignore the emotional impact the alleged incident had on him" - Mozanda Mokhuane, family representative

Mokhuane said, the matter was reported to the school and Ms Mahiwa denied hitting their child and wanted to apologise for the inconvenience, but felt more could be done than just an apology. Mokhuane said, they only want their child to attend school as intended 

"The matter was reported to the school by his mother. The teacher denied hitting him and wanted to apologise, but we felt that an apology alone was not sufficient. We wanted the matter to be properly investigated and wanted clarity on how the school would protect the child and address the allegations. We want him to be able to continue his education in an environment where he feels safe and protected. We are not opposed to him remaining at the school, provided that the matter is properly addressed and appropriate measures are put in place to ensure his safety and wellbeing" - Mozanda Mokhuane, family representative

This matter was also reported to educational bodies who are reportedly investigating it. Wolmaransstad Link is in possession of the reports indicating an assault case was registered to these bodies

The family says, they deserve a clear explanation on how the school handled the matter and what measures were taken after the alleged assault incident, however, the school has distanced itself, saying, they won't investigate false claims

"We believe that the family deserves a clear explanation of how the school handled the matter and what measures were taken after the incident was reported. Our primary concern is justice for the child, accountability for those responsible, and ensuring that no other child experiences a similar situation" - Mozanda Mokhuane, family representative

Mokhuane said, they want this matter to be thoroughly investigated and have those responsible be held liable and have an assurance that their child will be protected from any physical harm or any form of harm at the school 

"On behalf of the family, we seek accountability, transparency and a proper investigation into the allegations involving my 5-year-old brother. We want the matter to be investigated fairly and independently so that the facts can be established and the appropriate action taken based on the findings. We also want assurance that my brother, as well as other learners, will be protected from any form of physical or emotional harm at school. If the investigation establishes that the allegations are true, we expect appropriate disciplinary action to be taken against the person responsible" - Mozanda Mokhuane, family representative

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