SHEWULA – Classes were disrupted at Shewula High School yesterday when pupils protested, alleging that two male teachers were sexually involved with learners.
The disruption reportedly began at around 8am, when pupils stormed the school premises, demanding that action be taken against the two teachers. Police officers were called to the school to restore order amid growing tensions over the allegations.
According to a concerned resident, the protest followed an alleged incident on Friday, October 2, 2026, when the two teachers reportedly obtained permission to be absent from school before allegedly drinking alcohol and later collecting pupils from the school.
The resident alleged that the teachers used a motor vehicle to collect the pupils, who are reportedly in Form IV, with the assistance of the school’s security personnel.
“They were using a car,” the source said.
According to the resident, the pupils were reportedly taken to the teachers’ residences at Shewula in the Lubombo Region. The source claimed that members of the community later discovered that the pupils had been at one of the teachers’ houses, sparking concern among residents.
According to the resident, news of the alleged incident spread quickly throughout the community, with some people questioning the conduct of the teachers and the measures taken by the school management after the matter came to light. The source alleged that the incident became a source of tension among pupils, particularly because no action had reportedly been taken against the teachers despite the discovery that the pupils had been at one of their residences.
The resident further claimed that the pupils had been instructed by the teachers not to disclose where they had been after allegedly missing classes.
“It was discovered that the pupils were not at school,” the resident said.
The source said the discovery raised questions about the circumstances under which the pupils had left the school premises and whether the relevant authorities had been informed about the incident.
The resident further alleged that the conduct in question was not new, claiming that similar incidents had occurred previously.
The source also claimed that some pupils had become frustrated by what they perceived as a lack of action against the teachers.
According to the resident, some pupils had vowed to disrupt classes if the matter was not addressed appropriately by the school authorities.
The threatened disruption reportedly materialised in the morning yesterday, when pupils protested at the school, bringing normal learning activities to a halt.
Police officers were called to the school to intervene and restore order. The resident said the situation eventually calmed down after the officers arrived at the school premises.
The Head teacher of the school, Bongani Magongo, when sought for comment, referred enquiries to the regional education officer (REO).
Lubombo Regional Education Officer Richard Dlamini said he had not been informed about the disruption of classes at the school.
However, he acknowledged that his guardian officers had alerted him of suspicions that teachers at Shewula High School were allegedly having sexual relations with pupils.
Dlamini said some pupils who were aware of the alleged incident had reportedly wanted to disrupt classes.
He explained that he had asked his guardian officers how they had advised the head teacher to handle the allegations. According to Dlamini, his officers indicated that they had advised the head teacher to put the allegations against the teachers in writing.
The REO explained that documenting the allegations would enable the relevant authorities to take the matter forward and address it through the appropriate channels.
“…so that we can stand up and run to address the issue,” he said.
The allegations also raise questions about the circumstances under which the pupils reportedly left the school premises and whether the school’s procedures for supervising learners were followed.
The concerned resident alleged that the school’s security personnel assisted the teachers in getting the pupils out through the school gate.
In May 2025, The Times of Eswatini reported on a teacher who was convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for sexually violating a 12-year-old pupil by kissing her at school. The case was the subject of a report when the teacher sought a review of his sentence.
