‘Mantoetse Maama
MASERU — The board of St James Anglican High School in Maseru is refusing to reinstate a principal it suspended in 2010 despite a High Court order that he be given back his job.
Motsie Majoro was suspended in October 2010 following a complaint by the chairperson of the school board, Mokomosela Qhobele.
Since then he has been fighting to be reinstated, without success.
On October 22, two years after his suspension, the High Court ordered the school to reinstate him as principal.
Justice Nthomeng Majara said Mojoro’s suspension should be lifted and he should resume “his full duties as a teacher and principal” on October 29.
But when Majoro went to the school the new principal barred him from entering his office.
Since then he has been reporting for duty but doing nothing.
He said the new principal said he will not allow him to work at the school.
Majoro’s troubles started in October 2010 when the school chairperson asked him to call a meeting.
“When the chairperson asked me to call the meeting he did not tell me
what the agenda was and he even declined to tell me when I asked him,” Majoro said.
“It was strange but I called the meeting. The meeting was attended by five members of the board including me and Qhobele. The board comprises eight members and only five of them attended the meeting.”
Majoro said Qhobele announced that he would not chair the meeting.
“Qhobele said during the meeting he will not take his chair as the chairperson and in the same manner I will not take my position as the secretary because he was going to complain about me.”
The board members who were present, including Majoro and Qhobele, then elected a secretary and chairperson for that meeting.
“After he stated his complaints the members asked me to respond but I told them that I needed time but then they decided to suspend me,” Majoro alleged.
He however said according to the Education Act of 2010 the members had no power to suspend him because they did not constitute a quorum.
Majoro explained that even if there was a quorum the board could not suspend him without the approval of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), the institution that hired him.
“I informed TSC about the matter but they never got back to me until July this year when they called me to a meeting saying they want to work on my case.
“They gave me another suspension saying they wanted the board to state their problems against me”.
When the TSC failed to deal with his case Majoro approached the High Court.
When he went back to work the principal said he would seek guidance from the chairperson.
“The principal then requested the TSC to extend my suspension but they refused. He then said he will not let me work at the school.”
Efforts to contact the St James school board failed on Friday.
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