Parents at Laerskool Die Heuwel do not want principal Patrick Matlou to return to work after the Easter recess. Picture: James Mahlokwane
Pretoria - The principal of Laerskool Die Heuwel in Pretoria was prevented from returning to work, despite the lifting of his precautionary suspension for alleged fraud and financial embezzlement.
Parents and some school governing body (SGB) members blocked the entrance on Friday and refused to allow principal Patrick Matlou to enter the premises.
Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said the principal was due to return to work because his suspension had been lifted, with conditions.
However, the parents said they would be ready to deal with him when schools resume after the Easter recess, if he tried to return.
Mabona said: “His return to the school is subject to certain conditions, one of which is that he does not administer the school’s finances.
“He will appear at a disciplinary process in due course, and an outcome will be communicated accordingly.”
Matlou was placed on precautionary suspension in October last year. He is alleged to have turned a blind eye to, or possibly benefited from, dodgy dealings by two former SGB members.
A parent who wanted to be identified only as Sne said the members of the SGB had uncovered illegal activities that included the purchase of four flat-screen TVs, of which only some made it to the school.
“Receipts were being cooked here for people to embezzle money. When you go to the store you find that the store has a receipt that is different to the ones at the school. So where are those TVs?
“There are so many things that were being done that were suspiciously criminal and some totally unethical. The school fees here are R550 and we have at least 800 pupils, we cannot afford to have staff we do not trust.
“What angered us the most was that the principal was reporting at the district office and apparently asked to be returned to the school. He returned last Thursday and as soon as we heard that we said, ‘over our dead body’. How could he return to the school while he is still being investigated?”
Another parent, who asked for anonymity to safeguard the welfare of his child, said: “There was supposed to be a hearing last week but it was postponed. So if that hearing did not sit, how is this man here at the school?
“Our suspicion is that he wanted to come here and have access to the keys again and then go and mess with whatever evidence is in the office. We do not want him anymore. The department can see what it does with him.
“We know how these things work.”
Pretoria News