Principal and SGB treasurer allegedly involved in financial mismanagement at Batubatse Primary School

Some members of Batubatse Primary’s school governing body (SGB) and the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in Praktiseer alleged the principal was running the school like a spaza shop.

Speaking to this publication, a discarded secretary of the SGB, Jan Nkuna, alleges the principal, Doris Mapotsane, is misusing the school funds.

“Mapotsane and the SGB’s treasurer have made it a habit to buy lunch with the school’s bank card almost every day. The school’s bank card is always carried by the treasurer for purchases benefitting him and their principal. I also have recordings of someone who was hired to clean the school yard – the man charged the school only R7 000 but he was paid R12 000, and was then asked to return R5 000 to the SGB,” alleged Nkuna.

This publication is also in possession of copies of this recording.

The food for the school feeding scheme is allegedly being stolen and pupils are rumoured to be given milk diluted with water. According Nkuna, several complaints were raised with the Sekhukhune East District about Mapotsane’s conduct, but nothing has been done.

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Some other sources said: “The school has more than 1 200 learners and each pupil pays R5 weekly. This is about R24 000 a month, and allegedly the money is not banked. The principal also uses this money as she pleases.”
Another SGB member, who chose to remain anonymous, said they had purchased two cellphones for the principal in the past two years, but both are missing.

She said the phones cost the school R80 000.

“Some school funds were then used to buy phones and tracksuits for each member of the SGB team, but I was the only one member who did not receive the gifts. My crime was that I am a whistle-blower of the criminal activities taking place at this school.”

Sanco also accused Mapotsane of nepotism and taking bribes for filling vacant posts at the school.

This publication is also in possession of a letter from Sanco’s regional treasurer, Putiputi Mokgakala, asking for the Limpopo Department of Education to intervene.

The letter was submitted to the department on January 23.

In this letter, Sanco also alleges Mapotsane has taken some school property for her own use without permission. The organisation recommended that the department start with investigations and that an intense audit of the school’s bank transactions of the past three years be conducted.

This is not the first time Batubatse has suffered from managerial issues.

In February 2022, support staff like the teacher assistants, cleaners and cooks protested by locking the school’s gates. They were demanding payment for their work.

In August 2023, she allegedly fired five volunteer food handlers for allegedly refusing to clean the school toilets.

This publication forwarded some queries to the provincial education department on February 20 about the allegations raised by the SGB members and Sanco.

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Matome Taueatsoala, the department’s media liaison officer, promised to forward the questions to the relevant heads. No further response had been received at the time of going to press.