MASIPHULA HIGH PARENTS, PS CLASH

HLUTHI – There was a clash between Masiphula High School parents and the Ministry of Education and Training Principal Secretary (PS), Bertram Stewart, during a meeting at the school yesterday.

This was after the PS delivered his message and left without giving the parents a chance to talk. The meeting was initiated by the PS following reports he got from the Regional Education Officer (REO), Siboniso Gumbi, that parents had ‘removed’ the school’s Head teacher, Shadrack Dlamini. Dlamini was ‘removed’ during a meeting held at the school last week. Present during the meeting was a representative from the Shiselweni Regional Administrator’s (RA) Office, senior officials from the Ministry of Education and Training and Hluthi police officers.

Meeting

Dlamini was also present in the meeting, together with some members of the school committee. It was said that the meeting was meant to hear the parents’ grievances and map a way forward. When the meeting started, a parent, David Mhlanga, explained that their gripe was that the school was not performing well anymore and was not maintained as there was overgrowth around it. Further, Mhlanga said the Form V results issue was a final nail in the coffin. This is the case where the pupils’ exam results were withheld by the Examinations Council of Eswatini (ECESWA) as the school did not remit exams fees to the council. Mhlanga said they had also dissolved the school committee because it failed to manage the school.

Concerned

The PS, in response, said they were also concerned about what was happening at the school. He said as proof that they were working on the issue, he personally instructed the ministry to pay the debt of the school at the Examinations Council for the release of the pupils’ results. He stated that since the results were released, parents needed to exercise patience as they worked on the issue. “We are currently waiting for the report which will give us a clear picture of what transpired and a way forward,” said the PS. While he was speaking, some parents had already raised their hands indicating that they had questions for him. Also, the parents were overheard mumbling, to which the PS would tell them he would continue speaking once they were quiet. The PS told the parents that they did not have the authority to expel the head teacher as he was employed by government.
“Lomoya wekukhomba thishela nhloko ligede awugcine utsi faca,” he said in vernacular.

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