Sibongile Mashaba

Sibongile Mashaba

Teachers at DD Dliwayo Senior Primary School in Orlando East, Soweto, say they have not been paid for four months despite the school having collected close to R2million in fees.

The more than 650 pupils pay R3000 school fees a year and R500 registration fees.

Gauteng education department spokesman Nanagolo Leopeng said: "DD Dliwayo is not registered by the department. It is operating illegally."

She said if the school had applied for a subsidy, DD Dliwayo would be getting about R7583 a pupil, which is the department's provincial average estimate for each pupil.

The school has been operating for more than 10 years and it also has a branch in Protea Glen, Soweto, and another in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni.

There are 185 children enrolled in grades 0 to 5 in Vosloorus. This year's school and registration fees of R2700 will increase to R3000 next year.

The Protea Glen school has 130 pupils. The Orlando branch is closing at the end of the year and 300 children will be accommodated in Protea Glen next year.

Teachers said the school's management told them "parents do not pay fees and there is nothing we can do".

The school has 15 teachers for grades 0 to 7. The pupils have not been taught regularly.

Hilda Kubeka has been teaching there for eight years and earns R2500 a month.

She said: "How do they expect us to feed our families when they do not pay us? Since June they have been giving us R100 or sometimes R50 a day. What can you buy with that?"

Sowetan visited the Protea Glen school yesterday. Classrooms are filthy with broken windows and furniture. The toilets are not working. Some leak and there is sewerage on the playground.

Parent Muzi Tshabalala said: "Children have not been taught for some time. We pay in cash or electronically. I do not totally blame the teachers because they are demotivated."

School representative Manzini Masoga told Sowetan to see him on Saturday.

"We do not get a subsidy from anyone. We solely depend on school fees," he said.