Question NW3656 to the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

Whether the Minister of Basic Education has taken any steps to intervene regarding the allegations of poor management and financial irregularities at the Settlers Agricultural High school in Limpopo. If not, why not? If so, (a) on what date, (b) what are the relevant details of the specified intervention and (c) who has been appointed to perform the functions of the school governing body?

Answer:

I must first point out that the answers to these questions are based from the information I received from the Limpopo Education Department (LED) and that I intend to visit Settlers Agricultural High School in January 2024 to ascertain the accuracy of the reports

The LED has reported that it intervened by appointing an investigation team comprising officials from Institutional Governance and Learner Affairs, Norms and Standards for School Funding, Risk Management and Labour Directorates.

1. The Investigation Team was appointed on 24 April 2023.
2. The investigation focused on school management, school governance, learner discipline, financial management and hostel management.
3. On 25 August 2023 the Head of Department applied section 25 (1), (2) and (3) of South African Schools Act, 84 of 1996 as amended and appointed six (6) departmental officials as members of Settlers Agricultural High School sufficient persons to perform all functions of the school governing body.

 

2. Whether an audit investigation has been conducted into the utilisation of school funds. If no, why not; if so, what was the findings of the audit investigation?

Answer:  

Yes, an audit is being conducted into the utilisation of school funds. There are clear indicators that the school finances might have been mismanaged by the school governing body. For example, the R500 000, 00 Maths, Science and Technology (MST) grant that was deposited into the school bank account by the Limpopo Department of Education on 31 May 2023, with a condition that it be utilised for agricultural science resources or programmes in the school, was not used for that purposes. So far not enough evidence has been found to prove that the money was utilised for agricultural sciences resources or programmes. The Department is still investigating what the money was used for.

3. Whether the Minister will furnish Mrs. D van der Walt (DA) with a copy of the report of the findings of the audit investigation. If not, why not? If so, what are the relevant details?

Answer:

Yes, the Minister will furnish Mrs. D van der Walt with a copy of the audit investigation once the investigation is concluded. 

 

4. What measures will be put in place to ensure that the (a) specified school returns to its status as one of the top agricultural schools in the Republic and (b) hostels of the school are run with adequate resources for all learners?

Answer:

a) The Department has dissolved the school governing body and appointed sufficient persons to perform all the functions of the school governing body and they have expertise in the management and governance of schools. The profiles of the sufficient persons are as follows:

 

RECOMMENDED OFFICIAL	SPECIALITIES
Advocate Tshiwela Molepo	- Legal background, - Specialist in Governance and School Leadership
Mr Mokobane Malose Simon	Specialist in Governance and School Leadership
Ms Mokgehle Mamotlhatlego Sherin	Specialist in Governance and School Leadership
Dr Madire Sakgea Elias	- PHD in Business administration and conducted research on small and medium enterprises - Specialist in Governance and School Leadership
Mr Ntshumeni Thando	Finance expert with BCom in Accounting
Dr Mathobo David Nndineni	- Specialist in curriculum support - PHD in agriculture and conducted research on sustainability of vegetable production system in Limpopo

 

b) The Department has placed the principal on precautionary transfer to the Circuit office and appointed an acting principal who has the vast knowledge of running a farm and a hostel. Sufficient Persons have already established the following committees in terms of section 29 of the South African Schools Act, 84 of 1996 as amended. The following committees were established to assist them to perform their functions so as to quickly turn the school around:

1. Finance Committee
2. Disciplinary and Hostel Committee
3. Admission and Human Resources Committee
4. Curriculum Committee
5. Uniform, Tuckshop and Farm Committee
6. School safety and infrastructure Committee

Sufficient Persons are in the process of reviewing school and hostel policies to enable them to govern the school and to administer the hostel.

Collection of fees

At the time of the appointment of sufficient persons the school was unable to collect fees from parents. Parents refused to pay both school and hostel fees because they said they had lost confidence in the SGB and did not have trust in its financial management. The Sufficient Persons are working on rebuilding trust between themselves and the parents of learners. As a result of the confidence and trust that are improving, sufficient persons were able to collect hostel fees as follows;

1. August 2023 = R440,228
2. September 2023 = R440,895
3. October 2023 = R1,131,233

Unfortunately parents are still reluctant to make payments towards school fees and it remains difficult for the sufficient persons to run the school.

Debt recovery plan

The Sufficient Persons are working on identifying and appointing a Debt Collector. The Debt Collector will be appointed and will be instructed to collect fees with the required aggression. Debts from previous years will also be followed up. Sufficient Persons have resolved that parents owing funds for 2023 can make payment arrangements until the 29th October 2023. The due date for payment of 2023 fees has been extended to 30 November 2023 for those who signed Acknowledgement of Debt and made Payment Arrangements.

Maintenance of Hostel, School Buildings, and Grounds

Sufficient persons have started the process of repairing and maintaining the following:

1. Hostel burglar proofs,
2. Hostel ceilings
3. School grounds and sewage systems.

Farm operations and revenue

The Sufficient Persons are working on a turn-around strategy to improve revenue, operation and accountability on the farm. The plan is that by January 2024, the farm must be able to pay salaries for its own employees. The year-to-year lease agreement for the lease of 128 hectares of arable land owned by the school that was signed between the Willand Boerdery and the School has lapsed on 31 October 2023. The proposed lease agreement is at an amount of R1200 per hectare. The Sufficient persons are still looking into a possibility of renewing the lease agreement for another year.

Please note that over and above the steps taken in response above, as a Minister, i will personally lead a team from DBE to interact with the province to make sure that the matter is being sufficiently dealt with, the visit to the province will probably take place early in 2024 due to current time constrains.