A private college is facing possible closure after a lecturer and a caretaker allegedly defrauded it of R100000 in students' registration fees.
Sedco FET College in Carletonville on the West Rand is unable to pay its rent and rates amounting to R45000 a month.
A team of three staff members have also not been paid their salaries in full.
This was after the college was hit by fraud that started early last year and continued until January.
Lecturer Takunda Majuru, 22, and the school's caretaker were allegedly helping themselves to registration fees paid by students.
Majuru is on trial for fraud and faces 23 counts amounting to R23060.
The caretaker, who is being sought by the police, would face fraud charges amounting to R76990, bringing the total amount to R100050.
Both men are facing 87 counts of fraud.
Majuru was arrested in March and denied bail while the caretaker vanished in January after the college's owner Agrippa Moyo became suspicious. Moyo told Sowetan yesterday that his college was struggling to balance its books because of the fraud that its staff members allegedly committed.
"It's been a struggle, my friend. We used to have about 100 students annually but now we have between 30 and 40 because people no longer trust us any more. We are behind by R150000 in rent and we could be forced to close shop if we can't pay and that looks unavoidable at this stage," Moyo said.
He said the college was surviving on funds diverted from its other branches around Gauteng but that was not enough.
"I thought I could turn the situation around but I can barely do that at this rate.
"I keep paying my staff short and they are fed up. Don't be surprised if we close in a few months' time."
Moyo said Majuru and the caretaker allegedly forced students to pay in cash instead of depositing the money into the college's bank account.
Yesterday, at the Oberholzer Regional Court, Majuru told the court that he worked as a lecturer and also helped in administration, assisting the caretaker to process students' registrations. He joined the college in May last year as an English teacher.
Majuru told the court he gave Tony all the monies paid to him for Tony to deposit in the college's bank account. "I wasn't aware that he was not depositing the money as he was supposed to. All I know is that those students that paid to me are still attending classes even today," Majuru said.
Nandi Matengwa and Galaletsang Nthutang who are state witnesses, said they experienced financial problems after they paid their registration fees.
Matengwa said she had to drop out and forfeit her fees this year after she discovered Majuru had enrolled her for a course the college did not offer.
It offers courses in health studies, bookkeeping, information technology and engineering.
Thieving staff cripple college
A private college is facing possible closure after a lecturer and a caretaker allegedly defrauded it of R100000 in students' registration fees.
Sedco FET College in Carletonville on the West Rand is unable to pay its rent and rates amounting to R45000 a month.
A team of three staff members have also not been paid their salaries in full.
This was after the college was hit by fraud that started early last year and continued until January.
Lecturer Takunda Majuru, 22, and the school's caretaker were allegedly helping themselves to registration fees paid by students.
Majuru is on trial for fraud and faces 23 counts amounting to R23060.
The caretaker, who is being sought by the police, would face fraud charges amounting to R76990, bringing the total amount to R100050.
Both men are facing 87 counts of fraud.
Majuru was arrested in March and denied bail while the caretaker vanished in January after the college's owner Agrippa Moyo became suspicious. Moyo told Sowetan yesterday that his college was struggling to balance its books because of the fraud that its staff members allegedly committed.
"It's been a struggle, my friend. We used to have about 100 students annually but now we have between 30 and 40 because people no longer trust us any more. We are behind by R150000 in rent and we could be forced to close shop if we can't pay and that looks unavoidable at this stage," Moyo said.
He said the college was surviving on funds diverted from its other branches around Gauteng but that was not enough.
"I thought I could turn the situation around but I can barely do that at this rate.
"I keep paying my staff short and they are fed up. Don't be surprised if we close in a few months' time."
Moyo said Majuru and the caretaker allegedly forced students to pay in cash instead of depositing the money into the college's bank account.
Yesterday, at the Oberholzer Regional Court, Majuru told the court that he worked as a lecturer and also helped in administration, assisting the caretaker to process students' registrations. He joined the college in May last year as an English teacher.
Majuru told the court he gave Tony all the monies paid to him for Tony to deposit in the college's bank account. "I wasn't aware that he was not depositing the money as he was supposed to. All I know is that those students that paid to me are still attending classes even today," Majuru said.
Nandi Matengwa and Galaletsang Nthutang who are state witnesses, said they experienced financial problems after they paid their registration fees.
Matengwa said she had to drop out and forfeit her fees this year after she discovered Majuru had enrolled her for a course the college did not offer.
It offers courses in health studies, bookkeeping, information technology and engineering.
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