- Khayelitsha Special School has been in turmoil after parents accused the principal of financial mismanagement, particularly regarding bus registration fraud.
- Protests erupted as parents demanded her resignation, and learners were left without transportation.
- The Western Cape Education Department is investigating the situation.
Classes are reportedly returning to normal at the Khayelitsha Special School after more than two weeks of mayhem and no tuition.
The school, which caters to special-needs learners, has been in turmoil since the start of the fourth term, something that started in the previous term.
At the centre of the chaos are allegations of financial mismanagement and fraudulent registration of the buses meant to transport learners (“School drivers drop keys” City Vision 3 October).
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On Tuesday 8 October, tempers reached boiling point when disgruntled parents stormed the school demanding the dismissal of the school principal. They vowed to make the school ungovernable if the principal returned, accusing her of putting the institution in disrepute.
Parent Sizeka Kwanini accused the school principal of committing fraud. She claimed the principal failed to legally renew the school buses’ discs.
“We have six buses at the school,” she said. “And of the six, only four are operating. We were made to believe the buses were roadworthy because they had the discs. To our surprise, on Thursday 3 October we went to the Traffic Department in Promenade and discovered that the buses’ discs were not paid.”
Mpumalanga
Kwanini added that there was something amiss with the discs. She said the person who assisted her and other parents at the Traffic Department informed them that the discs were made in Mpumalanga.
“We were given an email address to ask the principal to forward proof of payment. But we discovered from other teachers the principal was not there that day (Tuesday 8 October) and was on sick leave. We want her to clarify what is going on.”
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According to Kwanini, the buses were not operating properly, and the drivers had their grievances with the principal.
She said before the school was closed for the third term the majority of the learners did not attend school because there were no buses to fetch them.
“The buses were meant to operate this morning (Tuesday 8 October) and the drivers received messages yesterday instructing them to come to work,” she said.
However, the services were halted after one of the buses was pulled over by traffic officials and issued with a fine.
Another parent, Siphokazi Siyokwana, said children were not safe at the school, which had more than 400 learners. “Not more than 50 learners have come to school today and the rest didn’t come because there were no buses. The ones who came today were dropped by their parents.”
‘Bully’
She reiterated Kwanini’s sentiment that the school wouldn’t operate until the principal gave the parents the answers.
“The principal is a bully and a dictator of note,” she claimed. “She doesn’t care about our children. Imagine sending our children off on buses that are not roadworthy.”
What was especially concerning to Siyokwana was that the current discs on all the buses were expected to expire at the end of next month.
“This does not make sense. I mean, it is well known that certain special-purpose licences, such as those for transporting school children, if issued in a particular region, are not operational elsewhere, for instance, Mpumalanga! So, what’s happening? Does she know someone in the Traffic Department who’s turning a blind eye? She must come and tell us what is going on and after that, she must leave the school.”
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City Vision understands several government officials visited the school to resolve the impasse. It was agreed to outsource school transport while efforts to get to the bottom of the problem were underway.
Director of Communication for the Western Cape Education Department Bronagh Hammond said the department had been alerted to a protest by parents of the school on Tuesday 8 October. “Officials visited the school on Tuesday 8 October to engage with the parents. Earlier this week the WCED assisted in resolving a dispute between the school and bus drivers. The new allegations seem to revolve around the management of the school. We will engage further to determine the facts and look for a resolution.
