Troubled school has its doors closed

Problems started when the principal was accused of corruption

JOHANNESBURG: Roodepoort Primary has been shut down for the third time this year, following incidents of violence and alleged racism.

The Gauteng Department of Education announced the temporary closure of the troubled school at a community meeting on Friday. The meeting was attended by Gauteng premier David Makhura and Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi.

Recently, Lesufi had temporarily closed Roodepoort Primary and hired armed security guards to man its premises when the schools closed for the winter holidays. But she opened it just as the schools reopened for the third term. The school was first shut down in April.

Problems started last year when parents accused its prin- cipal, Nomathemba Molefe, of fraud‚ corruption and financial mismanagement. But an audit cleared her of all charges. Last week, Lesufi promised to shut down the school if violence persisted.

This was after the deputy principal’s car was torched and someone claiming to be a parent wanted to enter the school premises with a gun.

After the incidents, 15 black teachers stopped reporting for duty.

The teachers and pupils will from today move to the Lufhereng Primary School in the neighbouring township of Dobsonville in Soweto.

“This is a temporary measure to ensure the education of the pupils at the school is not compromised any further,” said Lesufi.

Last week, the MEC said catch-up programmes would be put in place to ensure that pupils get up to speed with their school work. Lesufi said the pupils were behind in their schoolwork and that they were still doing the May curriculum.

Makhura announced that a task team comprising religious and community leaders would be appointed to mediate and find a solution to the problems at the school.

“The school will be reopened once peace has been restored,” Makhura said.