Bid to gag podcaster over abuse allegations dropped

Attempts by a teacher from Gqeberha to temporarily gag a podcaster from delving further into claims of an inappropriate relationship with a pupil at St Andrew’s College in Makhanda, fell by the wayside last week. The Herald reports David Mackenzie, a pro water polo coach and former boarding house tutor at the all-boys school, had brought an 11th hour application to the Eastern Cape High Court (Gqeberha) in the hope of delaying the third instalment of the series titled ‘My Only Story’, released last week. The series, a non-profit News24 project which looks at alleged paedophilia in some of SA’s top schools, had zoomed in on Mackenzie and claims of an inappropriate relationship with pupil Thomas Kruger (16), who later committed suicide on the St Andrew’s premises. In an affidavit, Mackenzie said he had, through his attorney Danie Gouws, sought an undertaking that podcaster Deon Wiggett withhold his name. Before the release of the podcast, Wiggett had sent Mackenzie 62 questions, which he declined to answer on advice from his lawyer. On the advice of senior counsel, Mackenzie elected not to pursue the application.

Full report in The Herald