Principal ‘forces’ pupils to pay honoraria fees

The principal of Magoza Secondary School in Dan Village in Tzaneen, Limpopo, has been accused of forcing pupils to pay up to R1,500 in honoraria fees.

Parents and former pupils at the school said those who do not pay the fee do not get their results.

Parents said for 2024, the fee for grades 8 to 11 has increased to R600 from R300 in 2023.

The amount paid by matrics has increased from R500 to R1,500.

They said pupils who don’t pay by June are charged an extra R50.  

However, principal Godfrey Rikhotso has denied the allegations and referred Sowetan to the provincial department of education.

Education spokesperson Mosebjane Kgaffe said they reached out to Rikhotso after we sent questions on the matter and he assured department officials that the fee was optional.

“The department is aware of what is happening at the school, however, the financial contribution is optional [only parents who can afford to pay]. We continue to advise schools to refrain from making such contributions compulsory. 

“It is illegal to refuse learners their reports due to non-payment. The South African Schools Act explicitly prohibits the withholding of learners’ progress reports, matric statements of results or matric certificates due to non-payment at all public schools [no-fee paying] and independent schools.”

The department has advised affected pupils to come forward and make statements .

Parent Steven Mabuza, whose child started grade 8 in January, expressed dissatisfaction and said he would not be paying the fee.

“This is a no-fee paying school. I am uncomfortable paying this money, the school is receiving money already from the department. I am not paying because I am sympathising with parents who do not have money to pay because they rely on grants.

“I have three boys and I buy groceries for them. Whatever the school does must be according to the policy of the department. We are expected to pay the amount in cash and not at a bank. If the principal doesn’t give my child the progress report, then I will take further steps,” Mabuza said.

He said he and other parents approached the circuit manager recently but have not been assisted.

Mabuza said several meetings have been held but the matter has not been resolved.

Another parent who asked not to be named said she has three children in grades 8, 11 and 12. She said the only time she would see how her children did at school would be in December or January when she settles the fee. 

The mother said she uses her children’s grant to pay the fee.  

“I was always late in payments, so that meant I would have to add an extra R50 for each child. If I don’t pay, then I don’t get to see their reports. This year the money has doubled, so I haven’t paid yet. I am unemployed and rely heavily on grants. I am forced to pay because as a mother I want to see my children’s results.

“The principal sometimes goes as far as telling our children that we as parents buy them Christmas clothes, so we also need to priorities the fee. So this year, it means I would have to pay R2,700 for all three.”

The parents insisted the fee was compulsory.

Another parent, Salume Shayi, who is also a community leader, said she has two children at the school – in grades 9 and 11. She said she had been paying the amount because she feared they would not get their progress reports.

“This year we are just shocked that it has doubled. I was paying R300 for each of them and this year we are told it is R600 each child. The principal did not even consult with parents about the fee increase. We were just told.”

Former pupil Nice Ndlovu, who left the school in 2018, said he settled the amount by cleaning the school toilets. He did this from grade 9 until 11.

“I volunteered to clean the toilets in order to cover the amount ... which he agreed to. It was only in grade 12 that the principal said I needed to pay the honoraria fee, but to date I haven’t been able to.

“I still don’t have my matric certificate and I have not been able to find a decent job because of this,” he said. 

Ndlovu does piece jobs for a living. 

Another former pupil Confidence Shokane said she finished school in 2015 but did not get her matric certificate because she owed the honoraria fee.

"I wanted to apply to be a police officer but because I didn't have my matric certificate, I couldn't do that. Not having it affected me. I am now 27 and I am just fighting to get my matric because when I turn 30, [SAPS] might not take me.

"Right now, I am just sitting at home doing nothing," she said.

Her mother, Joyce Mathebula said to avoid what happened to Shokane, she did piece jobs and used her grant to ensure that her other child who just passed matric received her certificate.

"I paid the money for her to be able to get the certificate. I just want to make sure she can progress in life because she also wants to be a police officer," Mathebula said.

School governing body (SGB) chairperson Thomas Nkanyana refused to comment. “I can’t comment, I am at work and whoever gave you my number should make a plan for you to speak to another SGB member.”

chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za