Rujeko school head under probe

According to the latest council report, Mr Hlatini has been ordered to repay the money he is said to have misused.

The school is run by council.

“It is resolved that the Rujeko Primary School head should repay the missing money.  A meeting between council and parents with children attending the school should be held after which a decision would be taken. An audit was done and a report revealed that there is some money missing,” reads part of the report.

Allegations against Mr Hlatini are that on several occasions he would fail to account for change he would be given after the School Development Committee (SDC) had bought school property that included building materials.

The trend is alleged to have continued until some parents raised it with council.

After the report was made, the council sent an external audit team whose results revealed that there was abuse of school property and money.

When the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture received a complaint they carried their own audit, which according to council also revealed financial irregularities.

Contacted for comment Mayor Alderman Femius Chakabuda confirmed that Mr Hlatini had a case to answer, but the local authority would first hold a meeting with parents after which the way forward would be known.

“I can confirm that the council received queries to the effect that the headmaster of Rujeko Primary improperly handled the school’s finances.

“After receiving a report, we carried our own audit and and recommendations were also made.

“The parent ministry, which has a mandate over headmasters, also carried their own audit and they also came up with a report and recommendations to us.

“We will hold a meeting with parents with children attending Rujeko Primary School and it is at this meeting where we would have a decision over the whole issue. However, what I can confirm is that the audit report revealed that some money was misused although I don’t have the figure with me now.

The figure should be in last month’s council minutes,” said Ald Chakabuda.

In an interview recently, Mr Hlatini  denied misusing money and said the move was meant to discredit him and the SDC.

“This is mere fabrication because even the audit could not come up with any problem on the way we are handling our finances. I have heard that information on several occasions and that should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves because I am very innocent,” said Mr Hlatini.