Following an in-depth investigation by the provincial Department of Education (DoE) into Lowveld High School’s finances, its former principal, Willem Steyn, has been deployed to
another school.

This is according to the spokesperson for the DoE, Jasper Zwane. “Upon receipt of the investigation report, charges were instituted against the principal who subsequently was found guilty.
“The said principal was then demoted from being a principal to deputy principal in terms of item 8(2) of schedule 2 of the Employment of Educators Act, 76 of 1998, as amended (see info block). The former principal has been deployed to another school,” he said.

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He did not want to disclose the name of the school due to safety concerns.

The new captain at the helm of Lowveld High is Jacques Krüger.

Lowvelder recently reported that in a 27-page investigative report obtained by the publication, the department unravelled extra remunerations to staff, among other dubious transactions, without the knowledge of the school governing body or the approval of the HOD, totalling more than R1,2 million in 2019 alone.

Zwane did not comment on an enquiry about Musa Linkwati, the circuit manager, and SS Mahlalela, the district manager, who had apparently publicly informed the staff of Lowveld High School that Steyn had been found innocent on chargers of fraud, gross dishonesty and corruption, except for the charge he pleaded guilty to on section 38, which was extra remuneration paid to 23 staff members.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s Monica Nyuswa had not commented before going to press.

Item 8 (2) states that with the agreement of the educator, the presiding officer may impose the sanction of suspension without pay or demotion as an alternative to dismissal.