Johannesburg - Pupils at Senaoane Secondary School in Soweto don’t have all their required textbooks, even though about R1 million was set aside for the procurement of study material.
Nine staff members at the school, including school governing body members, have been fingered for wrongdoing after a forensic audit conducted at the school last year.
The investigation was instigated after allegations of financial mismanagement surfaced. Currently, only the principal has been charged, and he is going through a disciplinary hearing.
Principal Lebo Mashuga has been provisionally transferred from the school to the district office pending the outcome of the hearing.
Among the allegations of financial mismanagement are the misuse of money that was allocated to the school as part of the Secondary School Improvement Programme, and a R23 000 loan given to a teacher from the school’s account.
It was also alleged that R27 000 of the cash collected from last year’s Grade 12s for their matric farewell function was never used for its intended purpose – instead the same amount was withdrawn from the school’s account and used.
A teacher at the school noted that the shortage of textbooks was putting a strain on photocopying and printing equipment.
Gauteng Department of Education spokeswoman Phumla Sekhonyane said they were not aware there was a textbook shortage at the school and would send a team of officials to address the issue.
The Star