Africa-Press – South-Africa. Residents of Gugulethu in the Western Cape are demanding that the principal of Tembaletu Special Needs School be removed from his post due to allegations of maladministration and prejudice toward the community.
The residents say they have demanded on numerous occasions that the principal provide answers for why the school chose to employ people from other suburbs and why Gugulethu residents were not given preference for vacancies.
They are also unhappy that the school governing body (SGB) is allegedly not informing them of big decisions made at the school.
Marc Matebe, secretary-general of Gugulethu Uprising, a local non-profit organisation, said their concerns date back to 2019, when the organisation tabled its concerns with the school.
Matebe said: “There have been numerous occasions when we have tabled our concerns to the principal. Unfortunately, he has refused to engage with us because he doesn’t want to engage with people from the Gugulethu area. This is quite concerning.”
He added that even the entire SGB is from Khayelitsha.
“Why are they being employed and tasked with making big decisions when they are not even from the Gugulethu area?”
The organisation says the school has buses meant to transport pupils to and from school, but the buses are not operating because of expired licence discs.
“We spoke to the principal about this. Again, he brushed our concerns off. It’s shocking that a bus transporting disabled kids does not have an up-to-date licence disc. That is putting our vulnerable children’s lives at risk,” Matebe said.
However, SGB chairperson Thumi Nodolo said it was concerning that the residents were tabling baseless allegations.
“Because of the volatile situation, some parents have chosen to keep their children at home until calm settles in.
“About two weeks ago, the residents protested outside the school, burning tyres and casting fear among everyone inside.”
Nodolo added:
Western Cape Education spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said she was aware of the events at the school.
“Thankfully, teaching and learning are continuing, but there are still fears from parents that there could be further disruption.
“There are concerns raised from community activists (who do not have children at the school) that still need to be resolved,” said Hammond.
She added that the department was investigating the allegations about the principal’s conduct.
However, the department said the principal had “not been found guilty of any previous allegations”.
It also said the claim that the school hired bus drivers from outside the community was false.
“The drivers are from within the community, and community members were invited to sit in on the appointment process to witness this.”
Hammond said some drivers were dismissed from the school following a disciplinary hearing after previous warnings: “In this last transgression, the drivers produced false medical certificates following days of absence from work, leaving learners stranded. They cannot be reappointed.”
On the allegations that SGB members are not from Gugulethu, she said:
“The claim that the SGB is not duly elected is false. It is duly elected.”
The department said it is the nature of special schools, given the specific needs they cater for, to accommodate pupils from outside of their immediate location.
Hammond said the school caters to 197 pupils from the local and surrounding areas, all with severe physical disabilities.
The department said it would continue to engage with all stakeholders on the concerns raised, “however, it must be made clear that there should be no disruption to schooling.”
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