By Obakeng Maje

Jan Kempdorp-The disgruntled community of Valspan in Jan Kempdorp was shocked yesterday amid the arrested of embattled principal at Tlhwahalang High School yesterday.

Modiakgotlha was allegedly arrested by police for allegedly conspiring against other teachers.

Aubrey Modiakgotlha was suspended last year in October for maladministration of funds and corruption.

The community were up in arms a month ago and closed down the local Tlhwahalang High School to demand the reinstatement of the principal.

 

The headmaster, Aubrey Modiakgotla, was suspended by the education department seven months ago. He is suspected of corruption and maladministration of funds.

 

The general feeling is that Modiakgotla was not given a charge sheet of all his charges.

 

Pupils were not allowed to proceed with classes when schools in the province reopened yesterday. Two opposing groups representing the parents, the school governing body and teachers protested outside the school premises.

 

The group supporting Modiakgotla said the department had acted in bad faith when it suspended the principal.

 

“We have tried so many times to meet the provincial head of department of education (Tshepo Pharasi).

 

“We went to his office (last week) a month ago trying to explain the situation to him,” one of the parents told The New Age.

 

“The division between teachers, the school governing body (SGB) and parents in the school has affected our children a lot. We are afraid if it continues like this it will affect their results at the end of the year.”

 

Local ANC branch secretary, Fana Molola, said the organisation was intervening to stabilise the situation.

 

“The morale is low. As the ANC we are trying to normalise the situation but the pupils are also not willing to come to the party when we try to assist. They are roaming around the streets, which is not good for their well-being,” Molola said.

 

He blamed the department for moving too slowly in resolving the issue.

 

Congress of South African Students (Cosas) national deputy president, Tshepo Louw, who was at the school yesterday, said he would have a meeting with the parents, SGB and teachers, to try and solve the situation.

 

“I will be assessing the situation at the school today to oversee if what we agreed on last month is put in place” Louw said.

Classes could be disturbed this morning as the students are planning to boycott.

“A principal’s issue is not on our discussions. We want to observe the situation whether classes running smoothly” Louw said.

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