Claims of corruption at Aliwal school

Department promised to take action

TWO Gqili High School teachers claim to have been victimised by principal Dorothy Nkumando and education district director Nceba Magadu for speaking out against years of alleged corruption at the Aliwal North school.

Thandile Makibeni, 51, and his wife Maleato Tabata, 49, claim 12 staff members at the school, including members of the school management team, were looting food meant for pupils.

They also claim Nkumando hired unqualified teachers, while overlooking qualified ones.

They also allege Nkumando had over-enrolled pupils to boost coffers.

“The larger the school, the better the salary and benefits,” Makibeni said.

The two made the allegations in a letter to the office of Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, dated June 24 2015.

The Dispatch is also in possession of a response from Motshega’s office dated August 4, in which national administrative secretary Mzi Khala said Motshega had forwarded the letter to Eastern Cape education MEC Mandla Makupula.

The provincial education department failed to comment after questions were sent two weeks ago.

Yesterday, provincial spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said he and his colleague Malibongwe Mtima had battled to get a report from Magadu about the allegations.

Pulumani promised that the provincial office would take action against Magadu.

The couple spoke to the Dispatch last week, fresh from eight-months special leave following a September 4 2017 incident, where they blocked the school’s gate with their Ford Fiesta, trapping teachers inside from 14.35pm to 15.23pm.

In a suspension letter, in possession of the Dispatch, the two were charged by Magadu for bringing the school into disrepute.

Makibeni said their protest action was due to the fact that after 43 years combined service at the school, he and his wife were allegedly overlooked for the deputy principal position and it was given to someone without the necessary requirements.

The couple also claim that after returning from their suspension leave, they were not given any duties. They were finally given the task as exam invigilators and markers.

“My husband has been allocated 599 pupils to teach, invigilate and mark and I got 300, while there are other teachers who only teach a class of 40 pupils,” said Tabata. —