Principle problems
The gig is up for Alfred as Principal Thobakgale gets closer to discovering how he stole her job.
The new year is off to a bad start for Turfloop High’s new headmaster Alfred (Putla Sehlapelo) on Thursday 3 January when his predecessor and friend Principal Thobakgale (Elizabeth Serunye) asks him for a lift to court to appeal her dismissal for misappropriating school funds in June 2018. Alfred makes an excuse and quickly leaves, which Putla says is because of his guilty feelings. “How can he help when he is behind her being fired? He feels bad about her unemployment, but if she appeals and there is an investigation, she will uncover his involvement.” Alfred was in serious financial trouble himself and seeing an opportunity, he conspired with shady businessman and school investor Mr Langa (Phillip Molepo) to take the headmaster job and earn an increased salary to fix his cash crisis. While Alfred goes on his way on Thursday 3 January, he doesn’t know that Principal gets a lift to court and kickstarts his downfall.
NO FRIEND IN NEED
If Alfred could turn back the hands of time, he’d undo his mess, reveals Putla, whose character is feeling remorse for his betrayal. “He wasn’t a good friend and instead of helping her, he used her situation to his advantage. Alfred and Mr Langa thought that they’d covered all the bases and Mr Langa made sure that his friend at the Department Of Education handled the case in August. “It was watertight. Principal’s career was meant to be dead and buried,” says Putla. Principal lodges her appeal on Friday 4 January and if Alfred read the documents, he’d notice two glaring problems: Principal wasn’t given a hearing but was fired on the spot, against regulation; and she was in fact authorised to use the money, which was never brought up as evidence because she didn’t have an official hearing.
GIVE IT BACK
While Alfred continues with his work on Tuesday 8 January, Principal’s appeal is successful and it reveals Alfred’s links to Mr Langa. But instead of losing her temper, Principal keeps cool, calm and collected, says Putla. “Principal is heartbroken. She trusted him as a friend and colleague for years. She never thought he would betray her.” But while Principal is eager to get back to work and re- establish her good name, Putla says that she is taking her time because she wants to look her enemies in the face before kicking them out of her office. “She wants what is rightfully hers and she wants to savour the look on Alfred’s face when he is thrown out.”