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IOL News
2 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Private school fee dispute: single father challenges private education payment policies
The father said the whole situation took a toll on his daughter Image: File A single father from Monte Vista is raising concerns about how private education institutions allegedly handle financially strained families and the emotional toll this can take on children. Craig Nel explained how his daughter was excluded from her Curro Durbanville school in July, despite his consistent efforts to settle outstanding fees. He hopes sharing his experience will shed light on the situation, especially for parents who are facing similar experiences. Nel explained that he signed an Acknowledgement of Debt in January 2025 to settle R163,503 in arrears while keeping 2025 fees up to date. 'The school then set a hard deadline and later confirmed she would not be allowed back after the July holidays unless the 2024 arrears were fully settled. 'I took out an overdraft to pay the balance before the first day of the new term. My 2025 fees have always been up to date. The 2024 arrears are now settled. The unresolved issue is the lack of clarity on the procedure used to threaten to exclude her,' he said. Nel criticised the school for failing to follow its own policies. 'No formal written termination notice in line with policy. First direct notice was a letter dated 30 June 2025 stating services would end from 1 July unless arrears were paid in full by 30 June… No meaningful time was provided to make other arrangements.' Nel said his daughter has since returned to school and is coping well. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'She has been back at school since the start of the term after the July holidays and is doing well. She has always been doing well in her school work. The issue now is about clarity on the school's termination policy and how it would be applied in future. 'I want to speak about this so that other parents can also know what to do should they end up in such a situation' He is calling for fair and consistent procedures, reinstatement without punitive retrospective conditions, and agree on a realistic repayment plan recognising payments already made. 'I also need written clarity on what would happen if I lost my job or whether they would give the 90 days' notice of termination stated in their policies. At present, I have no certainty, as they do not appear to be applying this or any policy consistently, and I have not been told why it would not apply to me.' While he has considered a government school, Nel said his daughter would prefer to finish in the same environment if stability can be guaranteed. Curro Durbanville has issued a response regarding the matter. 'A learner will not be excluded where the terms of an agreed Acknowledgement of Debt (AOD) are adhered to. However, even where the terms of an AOD are not adhered to, Curro still takes into consideration the wellbeing of the learner as it did in this matter.' According to Curro; 'The parent was an erratic payer who breached the AOD repayment terms.' The school emphasised that the learner was never excluded without written notice and due process followed.
IOL News
01-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
RAF Plundered: MPs demand accountability amid R50bn scandal
IN A scathing exposé of the Road Accident Fund's (RAF) deep-rooted issues, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) last week revealed a shocking level of corruption and mismanagement within this critical state entity. The revelations, presented by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), painted a distressing picture of an organisation that has failed in its mandate to compensate victims of motor vehicle accidents while simultaneously serving as a cash cow for unscrupulous officials and service providers. Action SA's Alan Beesley minced no words when he declared: 'To me, that is absurd, and if that is the case, they should all be fired.' This was in response to the revelation that basic financial practices like periodic bank reconciliations — what he termed 'auditing 101' — were not being implemented despite the RAF's R50 billion annual turnover. The frustration among committee members was palpable, with the MK Party's David Skosana criticising the use of tentative language in the SIU report: 'The use of terms such as 'allegedly' when referring to malpractice by individuals in the SIU report could be likened to 'gossip'.' He emphasised the need for factual information at this level of investigation. Perhaps most concerning was the complete lack of vetting for RAF executives, as revealed by Scopa chairperson Songezo Zibi: 'Not a single executive at the RAF has been vetted yet. All of them are in process, from the chief executive on down.' This failure extended to the chief investment officer, who had previously faced multiple charges of malpractice at the City of Johannesburg, only for those charges to be abandoned upon his resignation. The financial irregularities uncovered were staggering. The SIU reported that R141 million appeared to be an irregular payment lacking board approval. Particularly troubling was the cancellation of the panel of attorneys without a backup plan, potentially opening another channel for financial losses. As the DA's Patrick Atkinson pointed out: 'The 'huge loss' suffered by the RAF due to not having a proper panel of attorneys in place was because of the actions of the Board.' The ANC's Helen Neale-May highlighted a pervasive culture of non-compliance, noting that contract management had been 'blatantly flouted'. This was evident in various contracts under investigation, including: Siyenza contract: R313 201 152.98 Office Building contract: R17 000 000 Fleet contract: R53 166 897 Cleaning contract: R12 117 260.80 SAP contract: R1 811 764 Office Furniture contract: R40 000 000 All these contracts showed signs of procurement irregularities and fruitless expenditure, with investigations complete and matters being finalised for referral to civil litigation. The investigation revealed a shocking level of complicity from legal professionals. Duplicate payments to attorneys and sheriffs emerged as a major concern. While some law firms cooperated with the SIU, others had not honoured their Acknowledgement of Debt agreements. As the MK Party's Thalente Kubheka cautioned: 'Once the media run with it, they would 'lap it up' but some of the individuals mentioned in the report had not been given an opportunity to have a right of reply yet.' The EFF's Chumani Matiwane added: 'It was 'quite concerning' to hear that bribes might have been paid in relation to work demonstrated in the allocation of work to a single law firm.' He also highlighted the manipulation of criteria to favour specific suppliers in the Siyenza Project. Despite 20 matters already referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for prosecution consideration and 20 cases referred for disciplinary action, MPs expressed frustration at the slow pace of accountability. The DA's Farhat Essack captured the sentiment perfectly: 'There was 'absolutely' no accountability… The RAF was being 'plundered' and had become a cash cow for many individuals.' The chairperson announced plans to seek legal advice on handling sensitive information, acknowledging concerns about reputational damage before the right of reply. However, he maintained that Scopa needed to hold dear their responsibility to ensure 'people with valid claims were paid fairly and that this was done in a timely manner'. Adding to the list of concerns was the mention of ransomware attacks affecting the RAF's systems. While the SIU confirmed that no impact was detected in terms of the information needed for their investigation, Zibi emphasised the need for better cybersecurity measures: 'Ransomware should not be problematic, especially in institutions that process large sums of money like the RAF.' Zibi also announced plans to engage with other government departments, including the Minister of State Security and the Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies, to address systemic issues affecting the RAF's operations. He further emphasised the need for improved vetting processes and better support from state agencies. As the meeting adjourned, it was clear that the RAF faced a long road ahead in restoring public trust and implementing necessary reforms. The question remains whether these revelations will finally spur meaningful change or simply become another chapter in the fund's troubled history.
