By: Natasha Archary

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng claims R10 million for Kwa-Dukathole Comprehensive School renovations have been looted.
Sergio Dos Santos, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education says the Katlehong school has hundreds of learners in overcrowded and dilapidated classrooms due to the allocated funds being siphoned.
According to the DA, the misuse of funds meant for the improvement of the school is something the Gauteng Department of Education (DOE) is aware of.
The DA further states that the Chairperson of the School’s Governing Body (SGB) and the principal are both implicated in the misuse of funds.
“R10 million meant for the refurbishment of the Kwa-Dukathole Comprehensive School in Katlehong has been looted, forcing hundreds of learners to learn in overcrowded and dilapidated classrooms.
According to media reports, the Gauteng Department of Education was fully aware of the brazen abuse of funds from this school, yet nothing was done to intervene.
The misuse of public funds in the school has resulted in a shortage of desks and chairs, as well as overcrowding of prefab classrooms with each having 60 learners, which is a far cry from the average learner-to-teacher ratio of 31.4 projected in the 2022 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).
It is concerning that the Chairperson of the School Governing Body (SGB) and the school principal, both of whom should be advocating for the improvement of the school to a conducive teaching and learning environment, are implicated in the misuse of the funds.”
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, Sergio Dos Santos
The DA is demanding the Gauteng DOE and relevant enforcement agencies to accelerate the investigation into this matter and hold those found guilty to be held accountable for financial mismanagement.
Dos Santos says the DA will be conducting an oversight inspection at Kwa-Dukathole Comprehensive School to assess the state of learning, teaching, and infrastructure.
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