R663 000 to ‘persecute principal’
W Cape education department slated for cost of disciplinary hearing
THE Western Cape Education Department of Education’s (WCED) dogged persecution of a school principal who warned parents and learners against the opening of their schools amid the Covid-19 pandemic has cost the department nearly R700 000.
Heathfield High School principal Wesley Neumann is awaiting his fate after a disciplinary hearing lasting 25 days during which parents, teachers and learners protested in his defence.
Neumann faced six charges following his refusal to reopen the school amid the peak of Covid-19 infections last year. The WCED closed its case after six days while Neumann’s defence lasted 19 days.
It emerged during questions in the legislature that the disciplinary hearing cost R663 326 including R581 026 for legal representation and R82 300 for the presiding officer.
R103 718 of the R581 026 was spent on counsel in the Labour Court.
ANC provincial spokesperson on education, Khalid Sayed, said it was unprecedented for the government department to spend so much on a disciplinary hearing for one employee.
“The persecution of Neumann will go down in history as the most expensive and exposes the DA’s hypocrisy, which has left white teachers fingered in fraud and malfeasance scot-free while it spends R663 326 to target a progressive principal,” said Sayed.
He said the WCED would complain about inadequate funding when asked to account for unplaced learners next year, yet funds that could be used for more classrooms and teachers were used to target excellent, hard-working and dedicated principals.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the charges included an assault of a learner, failure to obey a legitimate instruction, and bringing the organisation into disrepute.
The legal bills were for both a Labour Court application and the disciplinary hearing, she said. She said the WCED was entitled, as was Neumann, to have legal counsel, and he went to the Labour Court.
“We cannot be criticised for getting legal counsel for such an application, as it is common practice to get counsel in such a matter.”
She said Neumann chose not to have union representation and instead opted for legal counsel, and the department therefore went the same route.
“The estimated budget for all legal matters in the WCED is approximately R7 million per financial year. This includes payments for external presiding officers and legal council when required,” she said.
The case against Neumann has been concluded and the finding of the presiding officer was awaited.
Educators Union of SA provincial chairperson André de Bruyn said money often spent on legal fees could be used to reduce educational inequalities and resource shortfalls at poorer schools.
Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools deputy chief executive Jaco Deacon said a human resources section in every department should be able to deal with internal investigations and hearings and have the capacity to defend the employer’s case at the Education Labour Relations Council.