School dormitory shuts due to 27 lesbians

A South African girls' boarding school outside Durban has closed down a dormitory after accusing 27 residents of being lesbians.

Two girls were caught kissing in the dormitory, which houses 300 students.

When confronted by school officials, they identified 25 other lesbians in the dorm.

"Twenty-seven learners were involved in this kind of relationship and the school took a decision to close down the hostel,'' provincial education department spokesman Mfundi Sibiya said.

The department has appointed a panel to investigate the issue, but the education department said schools did not have the right to remove students because of their sexual orientation.

The decision to close the dorm has brought learning at the school to a standstill, as many pupils have no other accommodation. South Africa's constitution guarantees equal rights for gays, but many gay South Africans still suffer prejudice in an often conservative society