Parents march against ‘dictator’ at school
Disgruntled SGB members and parents braved cold and rainy weather to march on Parliament Primary School in Mfuleni.
|||Cape Town - Disgruntled school governing body (SGB) members and parents braved cold and rainy weather on Tuesday to march on Parliament Primary School in Mfuleni and demand the removal of the acting principal.
The SGB and the parents accuse acting principal Xoliswa Sbayi of being a “dictator”, disputing the elected and recognised SGB, forming her own interim SGB and employing teachers without the original SGB’s consent.
On Tuesday, parents who support the original SGB took to the streets to voice their unhappiness with Sbayi. They vowed to march until she is removed.
The school was opened on February 2 after concerned parents went to the Department of Education to plead with officials for a school for children, who were learning in a tent belonging to a church. The children had not been accepted at other schools for various reasons, said SGB Chairperson Nomonde Mkhithi.
She said on May 29, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) asked parents to elect an SGB.
“That was done on June 2 in Bardale Primary School in the presence of an electoral officer, Mfuleni High School principal Mr Mlotywa, and two teachers, Ntombomzi Nazo and Mandla Masiza, both from Parliament Primary as agreed to by the department.”
SGB deputy chairperson Busisiwe Majiza said the principal was supposed to introduce them to the department after the elections.
“She did not do that. We went to the department on June 11 to find out what was going on. We were shocked to be told the principal was disputing the SGB.”
The members claim that Sbayi elected her interim SGB. They also claim that she employed teachers without consulting. “The school had nine teachers brought by the department when it was opened. But now there are more than 16 teachers. She recently advertised five posts.”
Sbayi has denied the allegations against her, saying the parents have been against her since the school was opened.
“These are blatant lies aimed at discrediting my name. I follow due procedures when appointing a teacher. There are individuals in the community who are hell-bent on getting me out of the school,” she said.
WCED spokeswoman Jessica Shelver confirmed the department was aware of the allegations, and that an investigation was under way.
“Our district officials are investigating the claims as these currently cannot be verified. I will provide further comment when the investigation is complete,” she said.
michael.nkalane@inl.co.za
@siyaks
Cape Times