Teaching and learning at the Phondolwethu Junior Secondary School in Ngqeleni, in the Eastern Cape, have been halted since March 26, 2021, when 26 teachers allege they were chased away by the School Governing Body (SGB) after raising concern over the school’s finances.
Teachers at Phondolwethu Junior Secondary School say they were forced to participate in elections for a new SGB but refused to be part of a meeting to elect a new governing body until they received a report for the 2019/2020 financial year from the current members.
The educators had a meeting to decide the way forward but they say an hour into the caucus, they were dispersed and threatened by the SGB.
Educator Khungeka Zithethe says, “The men who identified themselves as SGB came and said the principal says your gathering is an illegal sitting. If you don’t want to teach our children, we give you two minutes to leave our premises.”
“They said we have mobilised the community, the mob from this Mnqwangweni village in Ngqeleni is coming and we have evicted the pupils. Those who have cars must go take their cars because they do not know what could happen, that’s when the teachers got up and left,” says Zithethe.
Teachers say they were told by the SGB to stay away from the school because their safety cannot be guaranteed and accuse the principal of inciting them.
They have also called for a financial audit and an investigation into the conduct of the principal.
Educator Khasibe Busani says, “We said this person must undergo an investigation of everything that happened at our school. We said in the meantime he must be kept at the department, remember I said we are not chasing the principal away till such time the investigation has been concluded which says he is not guilty.”
“We are not saying we suspect him of mismanagement but when you’re going to say the funds are exhausted and there’s no report suggesting that then your logic will tell you something is going on,” adds Busani.
SGB Chairperson Lindikhaya Xhego and parent Simon Maqeda deny the allegations of threats of violence.
Xhego says, “I was there and a local elderly man who was around said you entered a wrong meeting and the pupils might also realise this. He asked them to finish the meeting outside the premises, so we can clean the premises because if we are congested inside here like this an enemy might strike and we won’t know where the enemy has come from.”
“We are pleading that whatever mistake that has happened to be resolved. We want everything to be sorted out so that our children can go back to learning. We have never seen such an evil attack before at our school,” added Maqeda.
Eastern Cape’s Department of Basic Education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima says the matter is being addressed.
Mtima says, “The matter is receiving urgent attention from the department at district level. Teachers have not been dismissed by the principal and SGB. They accused them of holding an unauthorised meeting at the school and reportedly asked them to hold it outside school premises.”
“Yes anything disrupting teaching and learning would adversely affect results at the end of the year. There is a planned meeting of the department, teachers, SGB and community at the school to resolve the matter,” says Mtima.
Teachers say in their absence, Educator Assistants have been teaching pupils but there has not been order at the school.
The educators have been reporting for duty at the offices of the local district of education for the past two weeks.
