Cape Town - Staunch supporters of former Heathfield High School principal Wesley Neumann are calling for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to investigate alleged corruption within its ranks.
This after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) found that a prima facie case of corruption existed against an official who has since died.
NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the State declined to institute a prosecution as the accused had died.
“We had a prima facie case and would otherwise have proceeded against him on charges of corruption.”
Supporters, who had organised as the Special Action Committee (SAC) claimed that the official was instrumental in bringing about charges against Neumann.
In October 2021, Neumann was found guilty on six charges of misconduct. It was found that from May to July 2020, Neumann had campaigned on social media for staff, learners and the community to refrain from attending school or report to duty during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Neumann, although found guilty, was offered a demotion to department head at one of three schools, or to be dismissed. He did not take up the department’s offer and decided to challenge the dismissal.
The matter is currently at the Education Labour Relations Council and has ben postponed to 20 to 26 April 2023.
On Friday, supporters protested outside WCED head office in Cape Town CBD, to hand over a memorandum of demands to Education MEC David Maynier and Education head Brent Walters. The SAC has given the department five days in which to respond to its demands.
SAC member Nadeem Hendricks said the official, a WCED labour department lawyer, approached a Heathfield High contracted teacher after school hours at his home and offered the teacher a permanent position at South Peninsula High School.
This was if he testified against Neumann by saying the decision to close the school during Covid-19 wasn’t one taken by the SGB and educators, but rather by Neumann himself.
According to the teacher’s affidavit, the incident occurred on November 24, 2020.
“This teacher was disgusted and then he called us and said he wants to lay a charge of intimidation and corruption by the WCED.”
A complaint was then made at Kensington police station.
“The papers were sent to the NPA for prosecution. It took quite a while, probably 18 months, and in that same time the official died,” Hendricks said.
Friday’s protest was to demand that the WCED appoint an independent commission of inquiry into corruption within the labour/legal department, as well as to allow a member of the public to serve on the commission.
Hendricks said the official had also claimed to be responsible for the dismissal of Brian Isaacs, South Peninsula’s former high school principal for 32 years.
On the department’s investigation, Hendricks said: “How can you be the prosecutor and the judge? Why didn't they appoint an independent person? That is the corruption we’re talking about; how can you investigate yourself?”
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the official was employed at WCED at the time of his passing.
“This is yet another attempt to try and disrupt the legal process at hand, and cause instability at the school. The allegations regarding corruption of senior officials are not new and have no foundation.”
Hammond said the matter was investigated by the Provincial Forensic Services (PFS).
“The WCED received the outcome of the investigation by the FIU. The report stated that ‘the investigation did not find evidence to substantiate the allegation of improper conduct against… (an employee of the WCED)’. This was communicated publicly in 2021 already.”
She added WCED officials have had to endure personal attacks on them, including physical.