Where is the money, ask school parents
PARENTS of pupils at HTT Bidi Memorial Primary School in Postmasburg have accused the school management of using the school, which receives financial support from the local mines, as their personal cash cow.
The angry parents threatened to remove the school HOD and acting principal, the former school governing body (SGB) chairperson, the deputy secretary and the school management team (SMT) from the school if the Northern Cape Department of Education does not suspend them while investigations are under way.
They also threatened to shut down the school if the department does not take action and suspend the identified officials.
That is after concerned SGB members wrote a letter to the department in which they listed their concerns.
The parents also vowed to lobby for political intervention and called for the national department to intervene due to the “lack of transparency” regarding the school’s finances, the appointment of staff and the allocation of projects and contracts.
Tempers flared after the school “failed to show accountability” in regard to large financial donations, to the sum of R300 000, from the mines.
Apparently, a R200 000 donation was made by Beeshoek Iron Ore Mine to fund a trip to Durban, while a R100 000 donation was received from Kolomela Mine for the renovation of the school ablution facilities.
However, the school toilets are still a stinking mess and pupils can’t use them.
Pupils had to relieve themselves in the veld when the school reopened because the toilets were not working.
The parents were on the verge of preventing their children from going to school, but were stopped by the concerned SGB members.
Some of the parents volunteered to go and clean the ablution facilities and unblock the toilets.
Another concern raised was that pupils have to pass through the tavern next door in order to access the school.
This is after the school entrance gate and passage were sealed off, reportedly in order to extend the yard of the tavern.
A concerned parent, Michael Mabilo, said it is frustrating that a lot of money gets donated for certain projects at the school but there is no financial report.
He added that there are also other donations that the school receives from other mines, as well as the allocation from the department, but there has been no development at the school.
Mabilo said that parents have learned of a number of alleged discrepancies, including the alleged irregular awarding of contracts, the irregular appointment and termination of temporary educators’ contracts, the sidelining of SGB members and private SGB meetings being held at the school.
He said they had confronted the SGB regarding the irregularities, but they could not get any answers.
“There is a no-show by certain SGB members whenever a meeting is called, and later we learned of a counter meeting being held on the school premises,” said Mabilo.
“We won't tolerate the department condoning such behaviour that affects our children.
“It is not only the mines that are waiting for the school’s financial report but us as well.
“They are just playing mind games because the HOD, who is the deputy SGB secretary, manages the school coffers as an SMT member, and is the wife of the departmental spokesperson. She is also in cahoots with the SGB treasurer,” Mabilo claimed.
He added that they also demanded to know who employed the contractor that went to renovate the school toilets, because the company did not do its work and only changed the door locks.
“We as parents had to use our own skills and resources to clean those toilets even though a company was paid lots of money.
“Even now the toilets are full of worms, which is a health hazard to our children.
“Let those who came to make business stay at their homes and keep their hands out of the school coffers,” said Mabilo.
The concerned SGB members confirmed that they have been complaining to the Northern Cape Department of Education since 2021.
They accuse the department of turning a blind eye.
According to the concerned SGB members, the allegations have resulted in divisions among them.
One of the SGB members claimed that cheques are signed without the approval of some of the signatories, school donations are deposited into staff members’ personal accounts, and appointments are being made without any contracts signed or approved by the relevant SGB members as per requirement.
The member said they have provided the department with enough “evidence”, but the department continues to use delaying tactics while it engages with and interviews “irrelevant people”.
One of the SGB members said they tried to stop the construction at the schoolyard but were told that the tavern owner received approval from the school, which the circuit manager was apparently also unaware of.
The SGB maintenance committee apparently does not know how contractors get appointed or how much they are paid.
“Whenever we ask, we are told that the district department knows everything.”
The concerned SGB member also claimed that various school campaigns take place in partnership with the local mines but are championed privately, whereby donations to the school would benefit certain individuals.
“There are usually no reports about such, although we learn about them at a later stage.
“We also still want to know which of the pupils went to Durban and why and who appointed an agency to arrange the trip and accommodation for them.”
Northern Cape Department of Education spokesperson Sydney Stander said an official was assigned to investigate the matter, including the financial records.
“The district human resource is busy with the investigation into the alleged irregular appointments of educators and busy putting measures in place to ensure the collegial and effective functionality between the school management team (SMT) and the SGB,” said Stander.
He said the SGB members will also be scrutinised in line with the code of conduct and compliance and functionality as expressed in the South African Schools Act.
“We want to express our expectation that the synergy between the SMT and the SGB must be sound,” added Stander.
“The SGB is there to support the administration of education, as led by the school manager. They must therefore understand that the day-to-day administration of the learning environment of the school is the sole responsibility of the school manager and the SMT.”
“The department had a range of meetings with the Tsantsabane Municipality Speaker and mayor to bring conclusions to issues that we think have nothing to do with the education of our children, but are used to disrupt it,” Stander warned.