Serious Drama as School Principal is Caught Stealing Maize Meal Meant for Students (Photo)

School workers are seen allegedly loading bags of mealie meal into what is claimed to be the school principal’s vehicle.

A school principal has got tongues wagging after being accused of stealing food meant for school children.

Zakhe Mthembu, a School principal in South Africa, has gotten himself into more trouble than he can handle.

The principal made headlines for the wrong reasons after pictures surfaced allegedly showing school feeding scheme pap being loaded into what is claimed to be his private vehicle.

According to Daily Sun SA, Zakhe Mthembu of Seme Secondary School in Daggakraal, near Amersfoort in Mpumalanga, said the food was rotten and he was taking it to his pigs. But SGB members said there was no way for him to know the pap was rotten as the feeding scheme was run by a committee that answers to the SGB.

SGB chairwoman Maleqhoa Sehlako claimed: “This is not the first time food meant for the feeding scheme vanished.

“Last year it also happened and he did not report it to the police. In July a newly installed door was stolen, which was not reported either.”

On Tuesday pupils protested outside the school, calling on Mthembu to return the food and resign.

They called off the protest only after a meeting to discuss the issue was set for yesterday.

But an ex-councillor then started telling residents the meeting had been cancelled and pupils should not come to school until further notice.

According to Daily Sun SA, Sehlako said the former councillor claimed that the principal instructed him to spread the message.

Mthembu said: “The allegations of theft are just a smoke- screen for the SGB chairwoman and some teachers who want to get rid of me.”

He confirmed pupils had not been to schools since Tuesday. He said this was because the SGB chair refused to meet school management. A new meeting was set for Sunday.

A Department of Education spokesman, Gerald Sambo, said the department had requested a detailed report from the district office.

Police Sergeant Gerald Sedibe confirmed theft charges had been laid against the principal. The docket was sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for a decision.