Rhodes High School finances being investigated over trust fund

Cape Town – A  forensic investigation has been launched into alleged mismanagement at Rhodes High School in Mowbray, after a former parent charged that the principal had unduly benefited from the trust fund by being paid a management fee that was never approved by the 
governing body.

Andre Klaasen, who served as a member of the school’s governing body for three years and was on the fund-raising committee, approached the provincial education department three years ago alleging mismanagement of finances by principal Keith Long.

Klaasen said in his complaint to the department that he had on several occasions requested that the finance books for the trust account be tabled at school governing body (SGB) meetings, but he was told by the chairperson and principal “that this is not the forum for that”.

“There were no policies put in place for the principal to receive any additional income from the school according to Section 38 payments… without the consent of the governors of Rhodes high school).

“My concern is that as governors, we are responsible for the transparency of school finances. There is too much happening at Rhodes High that is inconsistent with various policies that were put in place by the SGB,” Klaasen said.

Long has denied the allegations and said the department’s auditors had 
visited the school. He was unaware of the forensic investigation.

“Anything paid by the school had been approved by the department. The parent has a vendetta,” Long said.

Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department had investigated and decided to refer the matter to forensic services.

“The investigation dealt with
management issues at the school. No further details can be provided until the forensic investigation has been completed. The district did investigate a 
number of claims and submitted a report to Head Office last year. 

“The WCED decided to refer the matter to forensic services for further investigation. We await the outcome,” Hammond said.

By IOL News.

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