Colleagues want bully ’ principal out
Pregnant teacher relives her ordeal
A principal from Makabelane Technical and Commercial High School in Phuthaditjhaba, Free State, will report at the education district offices pending an investigation after a number of allegations were levelled against him, including that he refused a heavily pregnant teacher to take maternity leave.
A video surfaced on social media last week where a pregnant teacher was taken from the school on a stretcher after she fainted in the school’s toilet. Her colleagues could be heard crying and screaming in the background, with some saying “God should be with her and everything will be fine”.
The 25-year-old teacher, is due to give birth in December and she is now recovering at home.
On the third of this month [November], I submitted a letter to my principal from my gynaecologists which stated that I should go on maternity leave as of November 30. On Monday I couldn’t go to school because I had complications and I was rushed to the doctor, the teacher said.
I was given two days off and when I went back to school on Wednesday, the principal said I should have asked him for permission to go to the doctor and that the two days will be deducted as unpaid leave. This was despite the fact that I gave him a doctor’s sick note. When I asked him about my maternity leave, he said the gynaecologist was not God, I will only take leave when the school closes on December 15.”
She said she showed the principal a second letter from her gynaecologists that due to her health complications she had to take maternity leave earlier. She said the principal ignored the letter and gave her a personal book to read and review it for him the following day.
I told him I was behind with my school work and will not be able to review the book. He charged me with insubordination and said I should appear before a disciplinary committee. I refused to sign the letter as I had alerted Sadtu about the treatment I get from the principal. I went to the toilets and everything just came back to me and I fainted, she said.
This incident angered other teachers for the principal to go. This is not the first time he [the principal] instils fear among teachers. One teacher had a miscarriage as a result of his treatment. There is no way weare going to allow him back at the school. So many teachers have since left the school because of the brutal treatment from the principal,” said the teachers. Principal, Tumelo Mahlaba, said unfortunately he could not talk about the allegations because they were still under investigation. Education spokesperson Howard Ndaba said: “We are taking these allegations very seriously as the teacher’s rights were violated. ”