Cape Town – Fifteen foreign children at Simonsberg Primary School face an uncertain future at the Kraaifontein school after their parents bought illegal asylum documents from a convicted fraudster earlier this year.
While the acting school principal is adamant the pupils will not be told to leave, the Western Cape Department of Education said it would terminate their registration if their parents fail to submit valid documents.
According to the charge sheet, the Congolese man, who also has an invalid work permit, had sold more than 2000 illegal documents to unsuspecting people across the city.
The charge sheet adds that another Congolese man, who had bought a fake licence from his compatriot, went on to obtain a legitimate international driver’s licence.
Documents at the Kuils River Magistrates’ Court show the man, whose name is known to the Weekend Argus, was convicted of fraud in 2010. He was released three years later, but was re-arrested earlier this year on the same charges.
Mayihlome Tshwete, spokesman for the Department of Home Affairs, said a team comprising Kraaifontein’s police, intelligence and cyber crimes units, had visited the Congolese’s business premises, where the man was found with a fraudulent work permit.
“The police confiscated various items including a fraudulent passport,” Tshwete said.
Eric Ntabazalila, provincial NPA spokesman, said the case was withdrawn.
Acting principal Bettie Pienaar said the school “will not be chasing anyone away”. She blocked attempts to reach the school governing body (SGB), with a go-between saying she had asked that the reporter not be given the governing body’s chairperson’s details.
Jessica Shelver, spokeswoman for Education MEC Debbie Schafer, said the department had written letters urging the parents to send the “correct documentation”, but the parents of the 15 pupils had not responded.
Shelver said the Metropole East circuit manager had requested Pienaar to inform the parents the school would “have to de-register the learners without the legal documents”.
She said they would be allowed to register again – only if they brought the legal documents.
Shelver did not respond to other questions, including whether the department advises schools in the vetting process to avoid similar situations; whether other schools have been affected by the illegal documentation; or whether the department had liaised with the Department of Home Affairs on the matter.
Police did not respond to requests for comment.