School headmaster in South Africa arrested for sending student into a pit latrine in search of his cell phone

A school headmaster in South Africa has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after lowering an 11-year-old student into a pit latrine to search for the official’s cellphone, according to local news reports.
The headmaster of Luthuthu Junior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape province, Lubeko Mgandela, has also been suspended from his job while officials investigate the incident before taking him to a disciplinary hearing.
There are also calls for his educator’s license to be withdrawn.
The incident happened early this month after Mgandela accidentally dropped his cell phone into a latrine at the school.
It is alleged that he then used a thick rope to secure the boy, who may not be identified, and lowered him into the latrine to search for the phone with his hands.
The boy was unable to find the phone and when he was pulled back he was covered in feces.
Fellow students made so much fun of him that the ashamed boy has not returned to school, according to his family.
He was apparently paid Rand 50 (USD 3) for his efforts even though the headmaster had promised to pay him Rand 200 (USD 13) if he found the phone.
The boy’s grandmother told the South African news outlet GroundUp that she is happy the matter is being investigated.
It has been hard for my grandchild to go to school because he has been laughed at by other pupils, she told Ground Up.
Report by Chetali S M
Reported on – 18/03/2021