Teaching at Tsebe-Ntlha Primary School in Hammanskraal came to a standstill as parents staged a protest demanding answers over allegations of financial mismanagement at the school.
Gauteng Education Dept clears the air on reports principal is back in post
The unrest follows claims that the suspended principal had returned to her post despite an ongoing dispute regarding missing funds.
On Thursday morning, parents led a march to the Gauteng Department of Education offices, insisting on a meeting with officials. Protesters accused the department of failing to act on longstanding allegations that the principal had unlawfully collected registration fees at the no-fee school.
Education Department spokesperson Steve Mabona denied reports that the principal had resumed her position.
“The principal is not back. We have been engaging with these parents on many occasions. If she was here, maybe she was here to get administrative things. She is not back. The school currently has two acting principals,” he said.
Concerns over financial mismanagement at the school date back several years.
In June 2024, parents accused the principal of collecting registration fees ranging from R500 to R900, despite the school being designated as a no-fee institution.
The principal was placed on precautionary transfer pending disciplinary proceedings. However, the decision did not result in dismissal, and the department later stated that she would be allowed to resume duties.
Parents say they have not received any financial reports from the school administration, and efforts to demand accountability have been met with resistance.
Some parents claim they were misled into believing that Tsebe-Ntlha Primary had transitioned into a private school, justifying the collection of fees.
However, the department clarified in a previous statement that the school had been converted into an English-medium institution but remained a public, no-fee school.
At a school safety imbizo in Krugersdorp this past Saturday, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane warned parents against keeping children out of school as a form of protest.
“We are hoping for a hardline from the police. As and when we open cases against particular parents, we expect them to be collected by vans. Once we start doing that, and it’s known that if you do this, you get arrested, it should become less and less,” Chiloane said.
Despite these warnings, parents insist they will not allow their children back in class until the department provides full transparency on the financial affairs of the school.
The department has yet to announce its next course of action regarding the dispute.
