Pietermaritzburg – A senior Newcastle health official stands accused of having sexually abused as many as 40 primary school children, some as young as 10 years old.
The 48-year-old man, who was a manager at the Madadeni Department of Health in Newcastle, cannot be named until he has pleaded.
He is currently in jail after being arrested outside a primary school five weeks ago.
He applied for and was denied bail and is expected to reappear in court on May 22.
Police said the victims claim the abuse started a year ago, but they also have information that suggests the official was suspected of similar abuses in 2002.
The police said the man was arrested after one of the victims had reported the abuse to a school teacher who then alerted the authorities.
Newcastle SAPS spokesperson Captain Shooz Magudulela said: “His car was parked outside the school and we waited for him. The child identified him and he was arrested. The child’s parents did not know about this until we informed them.”
Magudulela said after the arrest, they released a statement calling on parents to contact them if they suspected their children had been abused.
“As many as 40 children have come forward, claiming that they were abused by the man.
“We are treating each statement very carefully. He targeted boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 12. We understand he abused the children and would pay them afterwards.”
Magudulela said the man preyed on children as they waited to go home. “He would lure them to his car with sweets and money.”
He said this is one of the most extreme cases of abuse they have investigated.
“We have received information that he was involved in similar crimes in 2002.”
The spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, Sam Mkhwanazi, said according to the department’s information the accused has since resigned
The Witness
