Gauteng Principal Dismissed for Misusing School Funds Loses Bid to Get Job Back

• A former Gauteng principal, P Bango, lost his legal bid to be reinstated after being fired for financial misconduct at Northview High School
• Bango faced four counts of misusing school funds, including buying electronics worth over R23,400 from Makro allegedly for personal use
• An ELRC arbitrator upheld his dismissal, saying Bango showed zero remorse and had permanently broken trust with the department

GAUTENG - A former school principal has failed in his attempt to reclaim his job after an arbitrator confirmed his dismissal was fully justified.

P Bango, who served as acting principal at Northview High School, was fired by the Gauteng Department of Education on four counts of financial misconduct.

The Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) arbitrator who heard his case found no reason to overturn the decision.

What the department accused Bango of

The misconduct centred on how Bango handled school funds during his time in the acting principal role. According to the department, he used school money to purchase a television, a laptop and a projector from Makro, totalling more than R23,400, and allegedly sent the equipment to his personal home rather than to the school.

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He also paid R1,396 in school funds to clear the overdue TV licence fees of a school administrative officer, reportedly so that the store would go ahead with the electronics purchase.

On top of that, he could not produce supporting paperwork for more than R16,700 in school expenses, and he authorised R25,280 in cash withdrawals and electronic transfers using the school's bank card, in violation of departmental rules.

A school admin officer testified that she personally witnessed Bango directing the electronic equipment to his home. When investigators later checked the school's actual devices, the serial numbers did not match those on the Makro receipts, and none of the items appeared in the school's asset register.

Why the arbitrator rejected Bango's defence

Bango denied all the charges. He maintained the equipment had always been at the school and was used for school events. He described the Makro visit as a simple exchange involving returned laptops, and suggested that colleagues had set him up out of personal animosity.

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The arbitrator was not persuaded, describing Bango as an evasive witness. The ruling noted that even if the items had eventually ended up at the school, Bango had clearly disregarded both the South African Schools Act and the department's own financial protocols.

Given that Bango occupied a position of trust specifically to protect funds meant for learners' education, and given that he showed no remorse throughout the proceedings, the arbitrator concluded that the working relationship between Bango and the department had broken down beyond repair. His dismissal was upheld in full.

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• A Lydenburg community mourned a long-serving teacher who shaped generations of learners.
• Bloemfontein schools paid tribute to a former deputy head whose legacy left a lasting mark on those who knew him.

Source: Briefly News