POLOKWANE – The school governing body (SGB) of Westenburg Secondary School started an internal investigation yesterday (Wednesday) after a learner was caught with a quart of beer on the school grounds last week.
The learner was allegedly sent to buy the alcohol during school hours by a teacher.
SGB chairperson, Eugene Lyle, said the reason for the investigation was to obtain statements from the parties involved, which would be handed to the department of education for a formal disciplinary hearing.
“The case was reported to the SGB last Thursday and we, in turn, reported the matter to the department,” Lyle said.
The principal of the school, Petrus Monyama, has not been to school since the beginning of the second term after he allegedly received threatening letters before the schools closed for the June holidays.
An inside source at the school who spoke to Review on condition of anonymity, said it was not the first time the principal stayed away from school.
“Without his leave being approved, the principal was not at school between February and a few days before the Easter break,” the source revealed.
According to Lyle the SGB was not aware of any threatening letters Monyama received.
He did not want to comment much on the Monyama matter and referred Review to the department for further comment, but he did confirm that the principal was not at school for more than a month in February and March.
Monyama clocks in at the department circuit office and not to the school while he waits for the threats to be investigated. In his absence, Bettie Boom, deputy principal, manages the school.
Some of the parents are not happy with this arrangement and say the school must have a full time principal on duty.
“We appreciate Bettie Boom and she does a good job running the school, but she is also a teacher and cannot give her full attention to everything,” a parent said.
Another concern for the pa-rents is the fact that there is no control at the gate.
“There is no one at reception, so if a person is not seen entering the gate, that person can go anywhere on the school premises without anyone knowing. This is dangerous. What if someone comes and hurts one of our children,” another parent asked.
Lyle confirmed that this was a big concern for the SGB as well.
“The SGB has written a letter to the department asking permission that we use some of the norms and standards money to appoint support staff, which includes someone at reception and a security guard at the gate. This is the only way we can appoint someone as our fundraising does not bring in enough money to appoint people,” Lyle said.
Last year Review reported that the department appointed a special task team to investigate irregularities and other issues at the school, but to date the department could not give comment as to how far the task team is with their investigation. According to Lyle the SGB is also in the dark regarding the task team’s progress in their investigation.
Paena Galane, department spokesperson, said the matter has reached finality and reports were presented to education MEC Thembi Nwendamutswu on September 2 for consideration.
“Due to the urgency of the matter decisions were taken and an internal process is underway to close the matter once and for all.”
