Three cattle and R120,000 for a principal post.
That’s what protesting parents of Nkodibe Secondary School in Mtubatuba, northern KwaZulu-Natal, say was allegedly demanded from the acting principal — who emerged as the number one candidate in the school governing body (SGB) interview process in June 2024 — by a senior provincial education official to approve the appointment.
However, Sthembiso Mthembu, who acted as principal in 2023 and 2024, didn’t pay the fee.
Soon after Mthembu was chosen as the SGB’s candidate, the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) lodged a grievance against the interview process and he wasn’t appointed.
In 2025 the department did not issue him with an acting appointment letter, and the school was left without a principal.
SGB member Kheyi Mlungwana said repeated attempts to get the education department to intervene in the grievance dispute and resolve the stalled principal appointment process were unsuccessful, and in November parents decided they would take further action in 2026.
Education was disrupted at the school as parents protested from February 9 to 23, claiming the acting principal wasn’t appointed because he refused to pay the fee.
Parents said the union had disrupted the appointment process because their member was not successful — Mthembu is from the National Teachers Union (Natu).
Mlungwana said he couldn’t comment on the principal fee demand or the union involvement because it is a criminal matter, but questioned why Sadtu lodged a grievance against the appointment process.
“The whole process has stalled since July 2024 and the school has suffered since. We asked the department what was the outcome of the grievance and there was no response. The parents were fed up, and in November took a resolution they would take the matter further in the new year.”
Mlungwana said they were now happy the department had given them the go-ahead to execute their duties and were awaiting the re-advertisement of the position in the March bulletin.
He said members have been at the school since Tuesday to ensure teaching and learning went smoothly and there were no more disruptions at the school.
Sadtu didn’t respond to queries.
A teacher at the school told Sunday Times learning and teaching had taken a knock in 2025 as they were without a principal.
He said under Mthembu, the school had attained a 97% matric pass rate in 2024, but this decreased in 2025 because of a discipline issue.
“Things have been bad in the past year. The kids are fighting, there is an issue with drugs and teachers coming and going as they please. There has been no proper management, and it has been a problem.”
The teacher said though Mthembu tried to help run the school, teachers told him he was no longer acting principal.
“Mr Mthembu helped the former principal take education to greater heights, and when he was acting he achieved good things. But last year we slipped, and it’s because of the limitations put on him.”
He said previously the school benefited from learnership programmes including afterschool and holiday camps that boost pupils’ revision.
“I have seen the improvement in our pupils. Mr Mthembu, the physics teacher, put in the hard work. He is very capable, but politics has got in the way of the improvement of our children and our community. ”
He said parents were incensed by allegations of the fee of R120,000 and three cattle to secure the principal post.
“We need to move away from this kind of union and politicking for the sake of our children’s education.”
Education department spokesperson Muzi Mhlambi said in a statement on Monday that the process to appoint a new principal at the school stalled following allegations of irregularities that were formally reported to the department.
He said the department convened a constructive stakeholder meeting at the school on Monday with teachers, SGB members, parents and traditional leaders to address the matter and restore stability at the school.
“Following thorough deliberations, all parties reached a mutual agreement that the principal post — which had become the central point of contention — will be re-advertised in full compliance with applicable legislation and departmental prescripts. The recruitment and selection process will be administered by the SGB once the post has been officially re-advertised, ensuring transparency, fairness, and procedural integrity.”
He didn’t respond to queries about the Sadtu grievance or claims about the principal fee.
Last week, two men were sentenced to life in prison for the R50,000 hit on Sikhethuxolo High School acting principal Busani Khomo in the Pietermaritzburg high court in 2024.
According to the indictment the two were hired to assassinate Khomo by a person who had a vested interest in securing the acting principal position at the school.
But the mastermind behind the hit — linked to the vacant principal post the education department was filling — was never revealed during the trial.
Natu president Sibusiso Malinga said he was aware of the chaos at the northern KZN school following protests over the department’s delay in appointing a principal.
“I am aware of the Sadtu grievance and while I can’t get into the finer details of the contents, the truth should have prevailed about what the alleged irregularities were so it could have come out in the open.
“Our member was the chosen candidate and if there were any issues, these could have been dealt with instead of the chaos at school.”
Malinga said their member was in the position for a number of years and had proved himself, but if the traditional leader, SGB and parents wanted to restart the process, Natu was willing to go along with this.
“With regard to the issue of selling principal posts, this has long been an issue that has plagued our schools for years. You will remember the Volmink commission made reference to a union involvement in this practice.
“Sometimes it emerges that certain members have the upper hand and get rewarded with positions. This is why we have schools subject to chaos all over the country because people who are appointed are not leader nor do they have the skills. Our members were not implicated in this at all and we are politically non-aligned.”
In 2016 an investigation into the sale of teaching positions was undertaken by Prof John Volmink, which found that in six provinces, Sadtu was selling teaching posts. It directed remedial action.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.