School sold off equipment at ridiculous price

The governing body of a school stands in a position of trust towards the school and when undertaking its functions and duties it must at all times promote the best interests of the school.
It seems, however, that this is not the case with the governing body of Stanger Manor Secondary School.
It has come to light that the governing body recently sold State property valued at approximately R500 000 for a ridiculously low amount of R25 000.
The school had at some stage offered metalworking and woodworking as subjects and the Department of Education furnished two workshops for this purpose.
However, over time the subjects were discontinued and the equipment remained unused.
In disposing of the equipment, the school governing body flouted provisions of the South African Schools Act, 1996 and the KwaZulu Natal school fund regulations. The SGB also failed to follow fair, honest and transparent procedures when selling the equipment.
The equipment is State property which was transferred to the school and according to the South African Schools Act, “No person may alienate any assets owned by a public school to another person or body without the written approval of the member of the executive council”. The SGB in the absence of obtaining such approval went ahead and sold ·the equipment.
The KwaZulu-Natal school fund regulations require that a board of survey be conducted to enquire into damaged, obsolete or unused school assets and recommendations be made to the SGB on how to dispose of them. In this instance no such board of survey was held.
No expert valuation of the equipment was done before setting the selling price. All the equipment was sold for just R25 000. Individuals working in the field of industrial equipment estimated the value to be R500 000.
The sale was not publicly advertised and no competitive bidding processes were followed. A buyer was hand-picked by the governing body. This is non-procedural and smacks of nepotism and corruption.
The school governing body needs to account to the parents of learners at Stanger Manor Secondary school as well as to the KZN Department of Education for their conduct in this matter.
RAJ THOTHA
Stanger
The chairman of the school governing body was invited to comment on this letter, but has not replied. – Editor