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IOL News
4 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Learners go hungry after school funds frozen by court order
Leaners at the St Teresa Secondary School are not receiving any daily meals. Image: File Learners at St Teresa Secondary School in the Joe Gqabi District, Eastern Cape, are attending school on empty stomachs after the suspension of the School Nutrition Programme (SNP). The Eastern Cape Department of Education has confirmed the disruption, attributing it to an administrative issue stemming from the school's unauthorised contract with a service provider—a printing company — without notifying or involving the district office. Department spokesperson Vuyiseka Mboxela said the school failed to honour the contract, prompting the service provider to approach the courts. "Upon entering into this contractual agreement, the school failed to honour its obligations, which led the service provider to take legal action. The court subsequently froze the school's bank account pending the outcome of proceedings," said Mboxela. The school currently owes the service provider R450,000, while its account balance stands at R2.1 million. 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 Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'This means there are funds available for the SNP, but due to the account being frozen, the school cannot access them,' said Mboxela. 'We urge all schools to refrain from entering into such agreements without the involvement of their district offices.' The Department added that it is seeking legal advice to resolve the matter. 'We are engaging with our legal team because we understand that it is unlawful to attach the account of any school, particularly where such funds are intended for critical functions like SNP, learning and teaching support materials (LTSM), and other essential needs,' Mboxela said. IOL
Daily Maverick
20-07-2025
- Daily Maverick
Spate of schoolgirl murders in Nelson Mandela Bay sparks call for collaborative action
After four schoolgirls were murdered in Nelson Mandela Bay in just one month, education and police officials have called for urgent collaboration between schools, parents and communities to protect vulnerable learners. Schools do not operate in a vacuum. It will take the combined effort of schools, parents and broader communities to ensure learner safety in Nelson Mandela Bay. That's the view of the Eastern Cape Department of Education, which has voiced its concern after a fourth schoolgirl was murdered in just one month in Nelson Mandela Bay. And while violence against girls seems to be on the rise, education spokesperson Ceduma Mboxela said boys were equally vulnerable, as they were targeted by street gangs. 'It appears that gangs have declared war on our schoolchildren. Losing one is one too many, but we have seen four girls killed, some of them raped, in a short space of time. We cannot accept that.' Mboxela was speaking just days after Michelle Ambraal, a 12-year-old girl with learning challenges from Bethelsdorp, was reportedly raped and murdered. Her mutilated body was found on Wednesday in a field halfway between her home and school. The burnt body of Lithaliyanda Ntoni, also 12, was found in a field near Khabonqaba Street, Motherwell, after she left home to visit a nearby shop late last month. On Friday, Algoa FM reported that the Motherwell Magistrates' Court in Gqeberha heard that Lithaliyanda's family supported her alleged killer being released on bail. Nine days earlier, the bodies of Ibanathi Peter (17) and Sinothando Malinga (19) were found in KwaNobuhle, Kariega. They had been raped, and their bodies set on fire. 'The situation in Nelson Mandela Bay is worrying. Girls are being targeted by violent criminals, while boys are at risk of violence from gangs,' said Mboxela. 'We've seen this, especially in Cape Town and in Gqeberha's northern areas. They are forced to join gangs and put themselves in harm's way, and if they don't join, they are targeted by the people who approached them. It is a lose-lose situation. 'For any schoolkids to be safe, there has to be a collaborative effort between the school, the police, parents and the broader community. 'A school is not an island. Kids can be safe between 8am and 3pm, but what happens when they go home? Our neighbourhoods need to become safer,' she said, adding that this would require the support of a wide range of role players. With regards to the four recent murders in Nelson Mandela Bay, Mboxela said the department's district office had counselling services for the teachers and pupils who knew the victims. Safe Schools Protocol She said Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and (recently suspended) Police Minister Senzo Mchunu last month signed a memorandum of understanding, called the Safe Schools Protocol, which set plans in motion to ensure better collaboration between schools and the police in their communities. This comes at a time when the South African Police Service's annual crime reports show a rise in reported cases of certain contact crimes against children in recent years. Between 2021/22 and 2023/24, the number of recorded child murders rose by 383, from 1,273 to 1,656. In the same period, attempted murders of children rose by 442, from 1,371 to 1,813; and cases of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm against children rose by 196, from 7,575 to 7,771. Reported sexual offences committed against children dropped by 1,542, from 23,379 to 21,837. At the signing of the memorandum in Cape Town, Gwarube said the document had been in the works since last year and sought to strengthen the existing relationship between schools and local police. The memorandum aimed to put mechanisms in place to transform schools into places of learning rather than places of 'fear and trauma'. In the memorandum, the Department of Basic Education and the SA Police Service undertook to establish safety committees at all schools that will liaise directly with their nearest police station. Additional resources will be allocated to ensure more visible policing around schools. Crime awareness and prevention programmes will be rolled out at schools to better educate children on the biggest challenges they face: gender-based violence, gangs, rape and drug and alcohol abuse. Gwarube called on communities to play an active role in child safety, saying that crime and violence were often symptoms of much broader social ills outside of schools. She said the previous financial year's crime statistics showed an alarming increase in violence against school pupils, particularly in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Adding to Gwarube's list, Mchunu said the illegal possession of firearms and extortion among pupils were major causes for concern that needed to be addressed urgently. DM
