The principal of Seatides Combined School has reportedly been suspended as the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education’s forensic investigation into alleged financial irregularities and governance concerns at the educational institution continues.

The reported suspension follows months of complaints by parents and former school governing body (SGB) members, who have alleged that school reserve funds totalling more than R6 million were used for capital projects including a school hall without the required approval from the parent body, and that the school’s finances were not managed transparently.

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The allegations remain under investigation. Vee Gani, chairperson of the Parents Association of KZN, said concerns surrounding the school’s finances first emerged last year following the inclement and severe weather, when the school received donations and financial assistance from various organisations and individuals.

According to Gani, questions were raised after parents and donors sought accountability regarding how the funds were being utilised, but many felt the responses they received were unsatisfactory.

He said these prompted parents and some members of the governing body to begin raising concerns with both the school and the Department of Education.

Gani alleged that some parents, who questioned the school’s finances, felt intimidated rather than supported, adding that parents have a legal right to seek information about how school funds are managed.

“When parents raise concerns, the response should be to investigate the allegations, not to discourage people from asking questions. Parents have every right to know how school funds are being managed,” Gani said.

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He said the concerns were eventually escalated to the provincial Department of Education, which appointed an investigator to conduct a formal forensic investigation.

Gani welcomed what he described as progress in the investigation, saying the reported suspension indicates that the department has found sufficient grounds to continue disciplinary processes.

“You don’t suspend somebody simply because of a rumour. There must be prima facie evidence before such action is taken,” he said.

He stressed that the investigation should be allowed to continue and that anyone found to have acted improperly should be held accountable.

“If there is wrongdoing by anyone, whether it is an SGB member, a departmental official or the principal, they must be held accountable. If criminal conduct is identified, then the law must take its course,” Gani said.

Gani said governing bodies are custodians of public funds and are accountable to parents.

“When you’re entrusted with public money, every decision must be properly documented, approved and transparent. Parents have a right to know what money is coming in, what is being spent and what it is being spent on,” he said.

He added that governing bodies should engage openly with parents whenever concerns are raised, warning that a lack of transparency only heightens public suspicion.

The latest developments come weeks after concerned parents and community members staged a peaceful protest outside the school, demanding answers over the construction of the new hall and the unauthorised use of public funds.

During the protest, parent, Kem Barron alleged that more than R6 million from the school’s reserve funds, accumulated over several decades, had been spent by the school governing body (SGB) without the approval of the parent body.

She further claimed that the expenditure had negatively affected the school’s financial stability and alleged that repeated requests by concerned parents to access the school’s financial records had been denied. Barron maintained that parents are entitled to this information under Sections 42 and 43 (6) of the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996.

Former co-opted SGB members, Varsha Maistry and Arlene Cairncross, also voiced concerns over the school’s governance processes, procurement procedures and transparency.

They alleged that parents had not been consulted about the school hall project and that questions regarding the project’s expenditure had gone unanswered. Barron also shared an email from the forensic investigator appointed to probe the matter.

In the correspondence, the investigator explained that the ongoing investigation does not halt or suspend the governance of the school.

The email further stated that the SGB is required to continue fulfilling its statutory responsibilities, including attending prescribed meetings, overseeing the school’s finances, approving payments, and accounting for all income and expenditure.

It also noted that the investigation does not prevent parents from exercising their rights to seek information relating to the school’s financial affairs.

The KZN Department of Education was approached for a comment to confirm the principal’s suspension and the reasons behind the decision, however, no response was received before the time of publication.