SAINTS AND SINNERS
The educator’s descent into chaos is said to have started with its illfated alliance to a Boot Camp crew, reportedly housed within the school premises.
Brought in as volunteers to run camps and character-building activities for students during the holidays, according to a source at the school, the group eat food meant for pupils and even get paid.
The insider says concerned parents raised their voices in protest, but their pleas fell upon deaf ears.
As for the alleged missing millions, the source points to two episodes in particular.
The first, a party the school held to celebrate its Form Five results for 2022.
“They used school funds but later failed to refund them and demanded that each parent with a student there contributes P500. Two weeks ago, another party was held in Phakalane without parents’ approval and their funds were spent there. Soon, this school will be bankrupt looking at how people are spending the money,” added a second source from the school.
‘Suspicious’ incident number two reportedly took place in August last year, when 242 students went for a seven-day school trip - billed as a ‘Social Sciences Educational Trip’ to Cape Town, South Africa.
“Each parent was required to fork out P6 500 but again there was no report on how the funds were used,” claimed the source.
The Voice’s trusty calculator works that out as P1 573 000.
After receiving negative feedback from their kids about their experience in Cape Town, which reportedly fell well short of the standards they expected, worried parents met with the school leadership at Cresta Hotel on 18th December to discuss the issue.
According to the minutes, which The Voice has in its possession, students complained of poor accommodation as well as being given fast food and fizzy drinks for their meals throughout the week.
Further complaints raised by parents included a lack of communication when their children were away and the poor condition of the
bus used to transport them to the Western Cape.
“Not a single receipt was provided from the trip; parents want to know where their money went and how it was spent!” said the source.
With St. Joseph’s planning another trip to Cape Town this August, setting the fee at P6 900 this time, the DCEC were tipped off.
“I can confirm that the DCEC is investigating matters relating to the institution you have alluded to. However, due to the fact that the matter concerns an ongoing investigation, I am unable to divulge further information,” said the corruption-busting agency’s spokesperson, Motshoganetsi Lentswe.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Douglas Letsholathebe, would not be drawn into discussing the matter, saying he was not aware of it.
In past presentations in Parliament, Letsholathebe had advocated for hiving off schools to organisations.
When asked if he still stands for that, the Minister told The Voice, “I still believe that some people can run schools for us when the ministry faces other duties. With your issue of St. Joseph, I cannot comment until I’m aware.”
Similarly, when contacted for a comment, the School Head, Constance Male, insisted she knew nothing about the investigation.