Panyaza Lesufi says community must take responsibility for Paradise school

Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says his department will not be helping the troubled Paradise Bend Primary School until it appoints a full-time principal.

The MEC said he was fully aware of the terrible conditions the school operated under, but the department cannot assist until the school leadership issue is resolved.

He said the principal was chased away by the school's leadership and community members a while ago.

"It is a very sad situation and it pains me because the children continue to suffer. But until there is a principal in that school, we will not stretch our hands," Lesufi said.

The MEC said the school governing body and the community accused the axed principal of abusing school funds and then chased him away.

"The principal was chased away several times after he tried returning to the school. You cannot fire someone you did not appoint," said Lesufi.

He added that the community deliberately keeps vandalising the school to sabotage the department and get "our reaction".

"You can't keep replacing and fixing things and they get vandalised; so the school needs an accounting officer, who is the principal, to manage the allocated funds."