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Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
A TSHOLOTSHO teacher was on Thursday arrested for allegedly sodomising an 11-year-old pupil before threatening to kill him if he told anyone about the assault.

The 53-year-old teacher, from a school at Tsholotsho centre, is in police custody.

He allegedly committed the crime in December 2017.

A source close to investigations said the teacher met the minor behind shops at the Tsholotsho Business Centre and dragged him to a nearby bush before sodomising him once.

“The minor who lives in Efusini Township bumped into the teacher behind Glow Petroleum Service Station when he had gone to relieve himself. The pupil greeted him and when the teacher took his hand, he refused to let it go.

“The teacher then dragged the pupil to a nearby bush where he forced him to remove his shorts and pants before allegedly sodomising him once,” said the source.

“He allegedly threatened to kill him if ever he revealed the matter to anyone. The minor kept the matter a secret but refused to go to school, when schools opened. Sometimes he would totally refuse and sometimes he would leave home but hide along the way and not attend class.”

The source said the pupil’s mother quizzed him until he opened up about the sexual assault and a report was made to the police.

In a separate incident, an 18-year-old man is on the run after he allegedly raped a 16-year-old teen at knife-point in Tsholotsho. Matabeleland North provincial police spokesperson Inspector Siphiwe Makonese confirmed both incidents. She said the teacher had been arrested while the 18-year-old man is still at large.

Inspector Makonese appealed to members of the public who may have information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect to contact their nearest police.

She warned members of the public against walking in secluded bushy paths at night.

“Many people have been abused while walking at night. We advise people to desist from late night church services especially those that make them walk without adults or serious security. When abused, people should report the matters as soon as they happen no matter the threats so that we arrest the suspects,” said Inspector Makonese.

The man of Matetshaneni area, under chief Gampu, reportedly pounced on the teen that was in the company of another person as they made their way to church on Monday evening. “He grabbed both of them as he produced an okapi knife. One of them managed to escape and ran away. He slapped the remaining one before force marching her to his home, about 2km away.

“At home he further assaulted her several times all over her body before ripping off her pants using his knife. He raped her once without protection,” said a source close to investigations. — @winnie_masara.