Bongani Siqoko
The principal of Usizo Technical College in Katlehong, East Rand, allegedly forged a signature on a R25 000 cheque this week to bail himself out of jail.
Thomas Mohatli is accused of having done this the day after the Gauteng education department launched a commission of inquiry into the alleged mismanagement of funds at the college.
More than R150 000 of college funds is unaccounted for since December 1996. Mohatli allegedly spent some of it on a Christmas staff party and a students’ farewell party.
Education department representative, Aubrey Mashiqi, declined to give further information, saying the department was investigating the allegations.
Usizo’s senior administration clerk, Liza Thabatha, resigned last year after rumours of mismanagement of funds first surfaced. However, the R25 000 cheque presented to a bank on Tuesday had her signature on it.
Thabatha claims Mohatli signed it, and that it was not the first time he had done so. “Wherever he goes he’s got the chequebook,” she said.
After Thabatha’s resignation, Mohatli did not inform the bank that a signatory needed replacement, but the college continued paying accounts with the cheques. The Mail & Guardian has a copy of a cheque allegedly signed by Thabatha this week, months after she resigned.
Usizo’s deputy principal and head of department of commerce are the only official signatories for its cheque account.
Mohatli could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press as he was still in jail after the bank refused to honour the cheque.
College staffers claim that more than R40 000 was spent on parties. Staff members also allege that Mohatli issued cheques to his friends. In 1996 – the year Mohatli was appointed – the college spent more than R50 000 on petrol. When the department discovered some of the travel was unofficial, Usizo’s petrol card was cancelled.
“Now we have no cars. The bakkie is standing there and no one can use it because we can’t get petrol,” said chief security officer Johannes Sekgala.
He said three video machines, two vacuum cleaners and a refrigerator are missing after being purchased by Mohatli and delivered to the college.