The election of school governing bodies in South Africa was marred by irregularities in its first week.
Exploitation of parents with limited or lack of knowledge of the nomination and election processes, and power struggles involving school and education department officials were pointed out as contributing factors.
At Mafori Mphahlele Comprehensive School in Molapo, Soweto, which falls under the Johannesburg Central education district, parents of grade 12 pupils were prevented from participating in the election meeting on March 2.
“We were told that our names were not on the voters roll because parents of grade 12s were not allowed to vote,” reported a parent.
The meeting did not have the required quorum of 15% of parents, and as a result, it was postponed to March 13.
At Phakamani Primary School in Mofolo North, Soweto, the power struggle among the SGB, principal and some circuit officials hampered the election.
The Gauteng department of education did not respond to questions.
At Mahlakanaseleng Primary School in Limpopo, parents were told to elect the chair, vice-chair, secretary and vice-secretary, and told the treasurer would be elected among the educators.
The Limpopo department of education spokesperson, Mike Maringa , disputed this, saying the meeting at Mahlakanaseleng wasn’t for electing office bearers.
Parents also reported challenges with convening of elections at Mohlamme Senior Secondary and OR Tambo Comprehensive School, which fall under the Sekhukhune South district.
“At Mohlamme, the first elections of parents were held on March 6, but they could not meet the quorum and the meeting was moved to March 11. OR Tambo will have elections on March 12,” he said.
At Margot Fontein Secondary School, under the Umlazi district in KwaZulu-Natal, parents disrupted the nomination and election meeting on March 2 because they were unhappy with the SGB.
A frustrated parent who did not agree with the protest told Sunday World that at the centre of the protest was the tense relationship between the SGB chair and the former acting principal, who was aggrieved that he did not get the position.
KwaZulu-Natal department of education did not respond to questions.
At Sanctor High School in the Nelson Mandela Metro district in Eastern Cape, some parents questioned how the school could have parents who have been in the SGB for eight to nine years.
Eastern Cape education spokesperson Malibongwe Mitma said there was no limit on the number of terms a person could serve in the SGB.
“A person can serve in the SGB for as long as one is a parent at the school,” he said.
