Lowveld High principal and others allegedly implicated in financial scandal

In its 50th year of existence, Lowveld High has been rocked by what can only be described as the biggest scandal ever to hit the school.

An in-depth investigation by the provincial Department of Education (DoE) into Lowveld High’s finances revealed that Willem Steyn, an esteemed history teacher and recently appointed principal, could face criminal charges for fraud and corruption.

Steyn officially took over the reins from Jane Wandrag last year, and has been with the school since 1998.

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In the 27-page investigative report Lowvelder was able to obtain, the department unravelled extra remunerations to staff among other dodgy transactions, without the knowledge of the school governing body (SGB) or the approval of the HOD, totalling more than R1,2 million in 2019 alone.

This includes about R230 000 of Lowveld High’s funds allegedly ending up in Steyn’s own wallet. It calls for action to be taken against him, which includes his precautionary suspension pending proposed disciplinary and law-enforcement processes.

It further recommended that the SGB open a case of fraud and corruption against Lowveld High’s finance officer, who allegedly captured and released funds that were not used for the intended purposes. She, along with her daughter whom she apparently appointed and promoted to assistant financial officer, is also accused of “gross financial transgressions in the performance of their duties”.

The report suggests that Steyn and the mother-and-daughter duo were very organised and intentionally committed acts of financial misconduct by capturing and authorising payments without the knowledge of the SGB since 2018.

The proposed disciplinary action does not exclude the 23 employees who received extra remuneration without declaring it. These payments ranged from R14 064,31 and R135 753,24 to Steyn’s R232 293,05. According to the report, these teachers were paid for extra unauthorised work that was never done.

Further action is recommended towards some 13 employees, Steyn being one, who failed to pay rent to reside in the school’s flats which, according to the report, could have generated an income of up to R80 000 per month.

Further irregularities include an amount of R26 300 for his income tax that was paid by Lowveld High; the school’s five bank accounts including an overdraft and an unauthorised credit card at FNB; funds being moved to other accounts, creating the impression that it was running on a deficit when in fact, it was making a profit; it
issuing unauthorised loans to staff; and taking up a mortgage loan to finance two townhouses.

Steyn said he has no comment at this time.

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Provincial education spokesperson, Jasper Zwane, said the report has been referred to the labour-relations division of the DoE, with recommendations, and that a decision on a way forward will be made by the labour-relations division. It is possible that disciplinary action will be taken against certain individuals.

The outcome of the department’s investigation confirmed our worst fears

Bill H Shaik, chairperson of the SGB, said the investigation was the result of a request by the board. He confirmed that the probe into irregularities relating to the finances is under way and all matters are sub judice, and as a result he is limited in what he is be able to say.

“Lowveld High is a 50-year-old brand and the best interest of the learners and accountability to stakeholders are paramount. All our parents have chosen Lowveld High and make many sacrifices to ensure their children receive a quality education. We will continue to provide a stable and enabling environment for learning to continue uninterrupted. We appreciate our staff and their dedication to our pupils in this period,” he said.

“The school’s operations have remained unaffected. It has not failed to honour any of its financial obligations,” Shaik said. The SGB is responsible for the salaries of about 70 people.

In a WhatsApp to parents on Sunday, he asked that they continue to support the school as a large number of staff work tirelessly to make Lowveld High the best in Mpumalanga.

He stressed that there are elements of criminality involved and he is therefore obliged to withhold certain information to protect the processes that are unfolding.

“The SGB has stopped all mismanagement of funds since April, and I can confirm that no unauthorised or illegal payments are happening any longer,” Shaik said in the message.

According to him, the governing board suspected as early as 2019 (when the current SGB came into being) that money was going missing.

“At that time, it was refused records of any financial transactions. After much maneuvering, the SGB was able to take control of the bank accounts and that was when we started seeing the bigger picture.
“After many failed attempts to rectify matters internally, we had no option but to ask the department to intervene. The outcome of its investigation confirmed our worst fears.

“However, the board did not wait for the report from the DoE as we started taking corrective action since early in 2020.”

In a message on Facebook, Shaik said it was regrettable that what is happening at Lowveld High was reported on so publicly in the press. “I assure everyone that the school has zero tolerance for corruption and maladministration. We are committed to retaining the values of honesty, dignity and respect that former learners have come to expect.

“Lowveld High will emerge from this cleaner, stronger and more focused on remaining the top school in the province and the best cosmopolitan school in Mpumalanga,” he said in the message.

The report concluded that it portrays a phenomenon that is likely to happen in other schools and thus the recommendations should be implemented urgently in order to deter similar activities.