Thousands of rands of school funds meant for student resources have allegedly been misappropriated at a Free State farm school, leading to the arrest of two teachers and a civilian.
Police spokesperson Captain Loraine Earle confirmed that the suspects were detained at the weekend. They made their first court appearance on January 27, at the Ficksburg Magistrate’s Court.
The trio was released on bail of R2,000 each and is set to reappear in court on March 17.
The suspects, Maneo Malebo, 57, Puleng Ramakhaleng, 38, and Palesa Malebo, 35, were taken into custody on January 24. This comes after a dedicated investigative team from the Provincial Commercial Crime Investigation Unit (CCIU) uncovered financial irregularities at Harmonia Farm School located in the Ficksburg district.
The investigation uncovered that school funds, meant for the benefit of learners, were instead used for personal enrichment. While police have not disclosed the exact amount stolen, they confirmed it amounted to "thousands of rands."
"Following an intensive investigation, the team arrested Maneo Malebo, a School Teacher, Puleng Ramakhaleng, also a School Teacher, and Palesa Malebo, a civilian," said Earle.
Investigations are ongoing and more arrests might follow.
IOL