St Peters School, Mbombela principal dismissed following contractual dispute
The principal received a letter from the school's Board of Governors, informing him that his services had been terminated. This followed months of wrangling over his employment contract.
MBOMBELA – St Peter’s School principal, Jacques Janse van Rensburg vacated his office on Sunday after receiving a termination letter from the school’s board of governors (BOG). Lowvelder is in possession of a copy of the letter, dated July 13.
It reads: “We refer to the above matter and wish to advise you that your services are terminated with immediate effect.”
However, BOG chairman, Dr Goodman Maleni, told Lowvelder that Janse van Rensburg was not dismissed.
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“It is incorrect that his employment at the school has been terminated. I cannot comment further on the matter except to say that we are following a process. Once that is completed, we will be able to provide more information by next week.”
Janse van Rensburg said that he complied with the instruction, even though he deemed it “highly unfair and unjust”. The contents of the letter point to an addendum to his contract which lies at the centre of the dispute. Janse van Rensburg said that his refusal to sign the addendum was due to an error it contained.
“I had a contract which I signed in June 2013 for a five-year period which ran from 2014 to 2018. They typed on that contract that it is a five-year contract ending this year.”
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He said that he contacted the board last year to advise them that the initial contract would expire and requested that they decide whether to have him sign a new contract, or to let him go. Subsequent to a board meeting, a consensus was reached that the principal would be offered a permanent contract.
“It was decided that I be offered a permanent position, as short-term contracts are no longer preferable to most institutions. I accepted the contract,” he said.
The new contract contained errors. “The contract had no salary amount, addendum or any of that. The sisters wanted to get out of that contract and added an addendum which asked whether I was aware that the original contract had ended in 2018.”
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Janse van Rensburg said that he agreed that the original contract had ended, adding that he was aware that the contract he signed in January this year was for a permanent position.
“They, not the board decided that that contract is null and void and I am disputing that.” His unwillingness to sign the addendum had the BOG rope in the services of a law firm which, according to the letter, asked that he add his signature to it.
“I refused to sign as it would be futile; I never relied on my previous contract for job security. As far as I am concerned, I have a legal and valid contract of permanent employment.”
After a parent meeting on Wednesday evening, the school has informed parents that an acting principal has been appointed while the matter is being resolved.
