The allegations of financial mismanagement linked to Dale College are not an isolated incident but part of a growing, deeply entrenched pattern of corruption in schools across the Eastern Cape.
Funds meant to improve school infrastructure and support learners have allegedly been diverted for personal use, at a time when thousands of learners are forced to learn in unsafe and undignified conditions. Every rand misused is a direct theft from children who depend on these resources for their education and well-being.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the precautionary suspension of Craig Hatches as a trustee of the Dale College Hotel Trust, pending the outcome of a forensic investigation initiated by the Old Dalian Union. The allegations, including the reported misuse of more than R156 000 and questionable transactions such as a R27 000 payment at a liquor outlet in Qonce, point to a serious breakdown in financial oversight and governance.
This case mirrors a broader crisis that the DA has repeatedly exposed. Across the province, school funds have been used for luxury spending, cash withdrawals, and unauthorised transactions, while learners go without adequate nutrition, safe facilities, and basic learning resources.
In response to parliamentary questions, it has emerged that more than 22 educators are currently on precautionary suspension for financial misconduct or corruption, including eight in the Buffalo City Metro area. These suspensions have already cost the Department over R2 million in salaries, diverting even more resources away from classrooms.
This crisis must be understood in the context of an infrastructure backlog exceeding R82 billion. Schools built from mud, classrooms containing asbestos, and the continued use of pit latrines reflect a system under severe strain. The misuse of funds in this environment is not only unlawful, it is indefensible.
The DA has submitted further parliamentary questions to Education MEC, Fundile Gade, to establish the status of disciplinary processes and to demand clear timelines for consequence management. The party will also raise this matter in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature to ensure that accountability is not delayed or avoided.
What is required now is decisive action. This includes the rapid conclusion of forensic investigations, criminal referrals where warranted, recovery of misappropriated funds, and strengthened oversight mechanisms across all schools identified as high risk.
Learners in the Eastern Cape cannot continue to pay the price for a system that fails to protect the resources meant for their education. Restoring accountability is essential to ensuring that every child has access to a safe, functional, and dignified learning environment.
The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that delivers, and a future built on dignity, opportunity and honest government.