ANGRY teachers stood in front of parents instead of pupils being taught in class yesterday.
Eleven teachers at the Mjuleni Primary School in KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage, put down their chalk and then embarked on a protest.
They accused the principal of bullying them. They claimed that teachers who argue with the principal get headaches because she uses muthi against them.
“We wrote to the district department telling them we want her gone within seven days,’’ said one teacher, addressing the parents in a classroom whose blackboard was covered with placards.
Another teacher said the SGB had only two members, a chairman and a treasurer, both controlled by the principal.
Another teacher said they do not have a photocopier or fax machine.
“This is like teaching under a tree. Our children are deprived of vegetables and fruit, which are nutritional food. There is always rice on their plates.”
A parent, Thembela Stokwe (29), said they were ready to fight for the teachers.
“The district does not listen to our frustration. Maybe they want us to fight to solve the problem. We will take to the streets!”
The principal, Monelwa Matshaka, said there were four teachers at the school who were sangomas and knew about muthi.
“We asked pupils to pick up litter in the yard and they picked up bottles of muthi. The teachers’ meeting today was illegal; instead of teaching the children, they opted to gather with parents.’’
Malibongwe Mtima, Eastern Cape education department spokesman, told Daily Sun: “We cannot work on hearsay. We can act only when they catch one of the alleged muthi users in a classroom, sprinkling muthi or burning impepho.”
