Alleged satanist deputy head�s position withdrawn

Ivy Matlho | Friday February 26, 2016 17:17

The District Commissioner, Orapeleng Modimoopelo made the announcement to concerned parents who came to the school premises on Tuesday.  He informed them that a decision had been reached to withdraw the deputy head’s position. 

Masses of parents came to the school with the intention to disturb normal school activity if the deputy head, Gakeolebale Mokobi was not transferred elsewhere.  This came after scores of parents on Monday raised concern over Mokobi who has been linked to Satanism acts from her previous school, Ramokgonami JSS.  In a heated Parents Teachers Association meeting, parents demanded that the deputy head be removed from the school, as they feared for their children’s lives.

Kereng Matsapa, a concerned parent, said that Mokobi should resign from her post, as they were not comfortable with her being around their children.  She said that students were no longer feeling comfortable and some even feared going to school. 

Matsapa also demanded an explanation concerning the transfer of the deputy head from her previous school.  

“We want to know why she has been transferred from her previous school. If it is because of the satanism acts she is linked with, we do not want her here,” she said.  She added that if the director of the central region and the school management did not take action they would strike because their children were not safe at the school.

“If nothing is done immediately we are going to strike as parents and I assure you no students will continue with studies if this woman is still here,” she said. Matsapa also said that they were aware that teachers recently boycotted classes protesting against the arrival of the deputy head at the school. She said that teachers were also not comfortable with working with the new deputy head, which could lead to poor performance of the students. “How do you expect students to pass while those that are supposed to assist them are also living in fear,” she said. Another parent who preferred anonymity said that as parents they want an explanation concerning the transfer of the  deputy head.  She said that as parents they were not going to accept the deputy head who had been transferred from her previous school after it was alleged that she initiated students into satanism.

“We do not want the deputy school head in Boikhutso and around our children,” she said. She also said that with such scary allegations linked to the deputy head it would not be easy for them to accept her.

She said that if management does not take action immediately they would be forced to stop their children from attending lessons.  The Director of Regional Operations for Central Region, Sane Mooketsi said that he was not pleased with the parent’s behaviour as they showed anger.  He said that parents are making allegations of something they have no proof of, which is not right.

“Those are allegations.  We cannot rely on allegations.  Parents need to calm down and stop making such allegations,” he said. He said that they have done investigations at Ramokgonami JSS and it showed that the allegations were baseless.  “We found out that the person who spread the allegations had a grudge against the deputy school head.  We found out that the person who spread the allegations hated the deputy school head.  We cannot go with her as you are requesting because we cannot rely on allegations,” he said.

Mooketsi, however, told the parents that the stance of the Ministry of Education is that satanism does not exist. Mokobi denied claims that she is a satanist.  She said that people have been spreading allegations of her being a satanist, which is wrong, as it has degraded her dignity. 

She said that she has no idea as to what satanism is. “I know nothing about satanism and I wonder why people are accusing me of such acts,” she said.  She said that parents have to understand that she is also a parent who has children and the allegations are negatively impacting on her children. “You have to consider that I also have children and these claims also affect them negatively,” she said.