Pupils from bogus schools to find placement elsewhere – dept

More than 100 pupils who were enrolled in two bogus private schools in Mpumalanga, which were closed down, will be placed in other schools.

Mpumalanga department of education spokesperson Gerald Sambo said the department had met with parents on Monday.

“We called alternative schools to place the children but we also gave parents a list of schools for them to choose where they want to send their children,” Sambo added.

The department and the police’s Hawks unit raided and closed Intercity College in Rocky’s Drift near White River and Tactics Christian College in Mkhuhlu near Hazyview on Friday because they were not registered with the provincial department as is required by the South African Schools Act.

Intercity College’s website boasts the school achieved a 100% matric pass rate in 2011 and that Christian values are the foundation of education in the school.

It had classes from Grade 1 to Grade 12 and the costs per child ranged from R21 000 to R27 000 a year.

Tactics Christian College, which does not have a website, had Grade 1 to Grade 11 classes.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Leonard Hlathi said at Intercity College police arrested four officials.

School director Gospel Rangarira (46), assistant director Rapadzo Rangarira (31), principal Henry Maporaga (28) and administration clerk Mandisa Mashuniya (25) appeared in the White River Magistrates’ Court on Monday and were released on warning.

At Tactics Christian School, a director, Mumsy Malisa (56), principal Innocent Khoza (26), and a head of department, Viona Ubisi (28), were arrested and also appeared in Hazyview Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

They were granted bail of R1 000 each.

Hlathi warned that more unregistered private schools were going to be closed.

“Parents must insist on a departmental approval and, better yet, must call the department because they might be given fake letters,” he said.