In an unusual move, a teacher, who was accused of sending inappropriate WhatsApp messages to a pupil, brought his wife to an arbitration hearing to testify that she sent the messages.
Belhar Primary School teacher Marlon Lombard, 55, and his wife, Yolanda, claimed the pupil had a crush on him, according to a transcript of an arbitration hearing conducted by the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).
Overseen by the basic education department, the ELRC is a bargaining council that serves the public education sector nationally and provincially. It deals with dispute resolution and prevention.