SEXUAL offences against children, the vulnerable, and people living with disabilities are on the rise, calling for urgent vetting of workers by employers
That's according to background screening and vetting company in Southern Africa, Managed Integrity Evaluation (MIE).
In the past few months, cases of teachers who sexually abused pupils dominated the headlines.
In the Western Cape, a teacher who was the deputy principal at a school in Mossel Bay was suspended for allegedly kissing and touching six pupils' private parts.
In Gauteng, a teacher from Thuto-Lehakwe Secondary School claimed that he was led by temptation when he kissed a pupil and also touched her private parts. The teacher was fired by the education department.
The Department of Justice and Correctional remains ahead in ensuring that sexual offenders are held accountable through the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The register, which was sparked by the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act and came into effect in July 2022, plans to deal with sexual offenders and re-offenders in the country.
Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola recently confirmed that the register was current and is built on the integrated case management system, which instantaneously captures cases as and when the court convicts the offender of a sexual offence.
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Speaking to Daily Sun, Lamola's spokesman Chrispin Phiri said the register effectively holds offenders accountable and ensures that they never come close to the vulnerable.
"When you apply for a job to work with kids one day, and you are found to appear in the register, you become a red flag, and you become a person undesirable, which prohibits you from working with children," he said.
But Jennifer Barkhuizen from MIE believes that a more strategic approach is needed to protect children against predators working in the teaching and childcare sector, and those exploiting people living with disabilities.
"MIE has a comprehensive, yet easy to use, background screening and sexual offender vetting service that will assist in providing clearance.
"In this way, potential and current employers can check if a person they are hiring has committed a sexual offence to ensure that convicted sexual offenders do not work with children, vulnerable persons or people living with disabilities.
"It is time society stepped up their efforts to protect children and the most vulnerable, and it starts with a simple check," Barkhuizen said.
