The school governing body (SGB) at Thuto Tsebo Primary in Lindley, Free State, are demanding immediate disciplinary action against the principal.
This after a report on financial records of the school found that at least R400 000 was unaccounted for.
The money includes R12 469.30 for water and electricity, R8 640 for transport, and R88 131 allegedly paid to a stationery company.
The SGB had also found that the school has not banked income received as cash.
Diphapang Mofokeng, the SGB chairperson, said they had been pleading with the Free State education department to investigate the matter further and put the brakes on the alleged corruption at the school.
He, however, said the pleas have fallen on deaf ears as the department has been missing in action since the release of the report.
“We have been running around trying to get help because although they found that there were missing invoices and some cash used without a clear purpose. They still left the principal and all those who had been working on accounts to continue using this unacceptable method.
“If we say the principal should be suspended or fired at least until the matter is resolved they will think that is all we wanted from the beginning. The truth is that they know of this corruption yet they have folded their arms as if they do not care about the school,” said Mofokeng.
Department delayed to take action
Mofokeng said the SGB now feels that the department is delaying progress on purpose because they are aware that the current SGB term of office comes to expiration in March 2024 and wish the next board would not raise this matter.
The SGB were scheduled to have a meeting with the district management chief director Mosweu Mokgobo in August and have since been left hanging.
In the meeting invitation seen by Sunday World, the chief director acknowledged that the office of the MEC had received a report on the alleged financial maladministration at the school and claimed the meeting was intended to discuss the matter.
“They have not been responding to us, we waited for our meeting and they did not pitch. We fail to understand why this matter is not important to them,” said Mofokeng.
The report had found that not monthly meetings were held to approve transactions and huge payments were not paid following proper financial regulations.
“This mode of payment without supporting documents can’t be tolerated at all, supporting documents especially invoice plays a pivotal role in validation of payment. It is therefore recommended that the circuit manager discourage this form of payment,” reads the report.
Attempts to obtain comments from Makgobo as well as Free State department of education spokesperson Howard Ndaba drew blank. This story will be updated when their comments are received.
