Acting Principal Elsie du Tout and CFO Qhawe Nthiyane are accused of mismanaging funds at uMfolozi Tvet. Picture: Supplied
ALTHOUGH millions of rands are invested quarterly in Umfolozi TVET College and its nine satellite campuses, some campuses are on the verge of collapse due to disappearing funds.
Senior staff members have blamed the Acting Principal, Elsie du Tout, and her ally, Chief Financial Officer Qhawe Nthiyane, for the situation following a concern raised by the National Education Health & Allied Workers Union (Nehawu).
In a series of letters addressed to management between 2023 and 2024, the union stated that it was “disgruntled and dismayed at how the college handles and applied its mind about finances”, revealing the dire situation. The union called for officials to step in and stop the management's plundering of the much-needed funds.
Among the various concerns raised, the top concern was the non-payment of service providers and the municipality, which resulted in services not being rendered on some campuses.
“The union leadership has noticed the suppression of some services rendered, and when probing, it is responded that service providers are not paid. Inkandla Campus has operated under a generator for a long period due to the municipality switching off power because this college is not prioritising settling/paying the municipality,” wrote S Ntshangase, who is the Secretary & REC Member at the Bheki Mkhize Region at Empangeni.
Ntshangase highlighted that the Umfolozi campus in Eshowe was one of the most affected. The municipality no longer collected campus trash as the institution was not honouring its obligations to pay for municipal services.
“In campuses with student hostels, meals were suspended because the service provider has unsettled bill for months. This led to strikes and vandalism of college buildings, which the union leadership saw as a sluggish act of fixing damages resulting from the strike. Worse this time around, Skynet has, at some point, refused to take exam scripts because this college has not paid.
“During computer examinations, some students could not insert pictures as required by the question paper because there was no internet. Due to non-payment of service providers, almost all campuses, even the central office, fail to keep up with their daily operational functions because operational expenses are not maintained,” Ntshangase said.
In the letter, the Nehawu leadership alleged that CFO Nthiyane appointed auditors to manipulate financial statements so that the college's financial statements did not accurately reflect its economic status.
“As part of mismanagement & maladministration of funds, he bought the Sage system while the Coltech system was still in existence, and he thus monopolised the Sage system.
“Worse, it is said that the Deputy Principal of Finance selectively pays suppliers as he feels like. One is thus tempted to conclude that he only pays those who shall give kickbacks. And the unpaid service providers may attach the college properties or block the college,” Ntshangase wrote.
The union proposed that the institution conduct its investigation to assess the authenticity of the allegations and put the college under administration while the investigation was in progress.
The union also claimed in an earlier letter this year that there is a water crisis and deteriorating infrastructure on some of the campuses, raising concerns about the institution's decision to undertake such costly projects.
“The leadership is observing water tankers moving in and out, filling Jojo tanks, but we wonder why the college is opting for an expensive exercise when the lasting solution of drilling a borehole is available.
“The water crisis leads to an unhealthy and unhygienic environment because ablution facilities cannot be used and classes are eventually released or terminated.
“Not forgetting the incomplete Bambanana Campus and its class conditions as well as other campuses with dilapidating buildings because no renovation plans are in place,” the union said.
Campus acting principal Du Tout did not respond to questions from the publication.
CFO Nthiyane said he had spoken to his boss, Du Toit, about responding; however, he felt she was hesitant.
On questions about why Tvet lacked the necessary facilities for teaching and learning, which caused significant challenges and negatively impacted the students, he said that the college was correcting the funding model with the Department of Higher Education and that the model would be in place in October. Still, those with knowledge of the matter said that nothing had changed.
Nthiyane refused to disclose the list of service providers owed by the institution; however, he admitted they have a “substantial amount owed to suppliers” and were in contestant communication with service and goods suppliers.
He also conceded that the institution had received a negative audit report.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Ntshangase were unsuccessful. Ntshangase told the Sunday Independent that he would respond but did not do so by the time of publication.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
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