KZN principal accused of paying R20k bribe to secure position as head

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is investigating shocking allegations of bribery and poor governance following affidavits submitted to the department where the principal of a secondary school in Chatsworth was accused of paying a bribe in order to secure his position in 2017, Rising Sun Chatsworth reports.

Spokesman for the Department of Education, Kwazi Mthethwa, said the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal does not sell posts.

“We recruit our employees based on their academic qualifications, skills, and work experience. A team is in contact with the affected school to dig deep for more details on this matter,” he confirmed.

In affidavits, which the Rising Sun has in its possession, the former chairman of the school’s governing body, who held the title in 2017 and cannot be named due to the department’s internal investigation, claims to have accepted a R20, 000 bribe to ensure that the principal got the post.

He further claims that he is ‘coming clean’ because he initially thought the man would bring vital and positive change to the school, however, his term since being appointed has been riddled with controversy.

“He told me that this was a blessing from one Christian to the next. He said irrespective of the outcome of the interview, he was led to bless me. He told me to consider the future of the school. He told me that should he get the job as principal, he would work with my pastor and assist him with all his church projects. I was very uncomfortable, but agreed to see how I could influence the decision,” he said.

He said his conscience later got the better of him when the principal did not uphold his promise of bettering the community or the school.

He explained that he regretted his actions, but waited for his child to finish grade 12 at the school before coming forward.

“I regret my actions. I know what I did was not right. I believed he was blessing me. I was afraid and ashamed to come forward. I waited for my term on the SGB to end. I felt guilty and contacted the department. I could not watch him run the school into the ground any longer,” he said.

In a separate affidavit, another SGB member stated that she was asked by the principal to sign blank cheques.