Community removes primary school principal

GA-RANTHO – Teaching and learning for pupils at Ga-Rantho Village outside Steelpoort within the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality was adversely affected last week until Monday, 20 February 2023.

The teaching and learning’s disturbances at the village broke out after parents at the local Tibamoshito Primary School called for the removal of the school’s principal, MJ thupa.

The parents last week embarked on a protest, demanding that the school principal be dismissed from the institution of primary learning on the basis of several accusations leveled against him.

The parents alleged that the principal abused school funds, gave contracts to family members, discriminated against pupils and destroyed sporting activities at the facility among other listed concerns.

“He is misusing the funds. His wife was dismissed and we want him axed as well. All the tenders at the school are given to his son and friends. They have killed sports in the school and replaced it with toilets. He is doing as he pleases here. So we want him out of our school similarly as his wife was also dismissed from this school,” said Can Masha, a community member.

Masha added that as parents they were also concerned that a learner was dismissed from the school on the basis that the learner’s eyes had deficiencies.

“He chased away that learner. The learner is currently at another school and we hear that learner is one of the top achieving learners there. Why did he not allow the learner to enroll at this school? One can see that he is discriminating against some of the learners. We cannot keep quiet about such shenanigans happening in our school,” further said Masha.

On Monday, 20 February 2023, parents gathered at the school as they met with the circuit management over their concerns.

Masha indicated that they were satisfied with the announcement that Principal Thupa has been removed from the school and someone would act in his position until the new principal was appointed.

“We are very happy that the principal has been sacked and now, moving forward, we want the School Governing Body also dissolved,” revealed Masha.

Mike Maringa, Limpopo Department of Education Spokesperson, said that the department was aware of the matter and that the concerned group had written to the department with a bucket list of demands, amongst others, the removal of the school principal.

Maringa further said that the unfortunate incident occurred when they had agreed to meet with the hope of resolving the impasse.

“We call on the concerned residents or parents to use proper channels to voice out their concerns without disrupting classes. We urge them to allow their children to go to school and we are available to listen to their concerns,” concluded Maringa.