Cash at the Headmaster’s House and Bottle Store Spend: Dale College Rocked by Suspension

One of South Africa’s oldest and most prestigious schools is in crisis.

Dale College in Qonce has suspended its headmaster, Craig Hatches, following a damning governance report that alleges financial mismanagement, unauthorised spending, and a breakdown of trust.

The Suspension

Eastern Cape education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima confirmed Hatches’ precautionary suspension on Wednesday.

School governing body (SGB) chair Morris Xaba told IOL: “I can confirm that the headmaster has been placed on precautionary suspension.”

The Report

The suspension followed a governance report submitted to the department by the SGB, raising serious concerns about how the historic schoolfounded in 1861had been run.

The Finances

The school’s finances are under severe pressure.

Reserve funds, meant to keep the school stable, have been repeatedly used to pay staff salaries. Savings have dropped to below about R4 million.

“The school and hostel are dependent on school fees and hostel fees,” the report said.

“Of particular concern is that the school had to utilise reserve funds to meet January 2025 payroll obligations. Standard financial practice recommends maintaining a reserve of approximately R4m for emergencies, which was not the case at the time of payroll execution.”

The Debit Card

Questions have been raised about how school money has been spent.

The report claims the school’s debit card was used for purchases without proper receipts or documentation, and sometimes outside normal procurement processes.

“The school’s debit card, intended for emergency purchases, is being used outside proper procurement channels, often without receipts or supporting documentation.

“The card is currently held by the Headmaster, without finance office oversight.”

The Cash at the House

Perhaps the most startling allegation concerns money collected during school fundraising events run through the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) .

The report says the cash box from a fundraising event was allegedly taken to the headmaster’s residence instead of being secured in the school safe.

“There have been different individuals who were asked, not authorised, to collect the cashbox to be dropped off at the headmaster’s house instead of the safe at school. This exposes school fundraising funds to risk and corruption.”

The Bottle Store Spend

In another incident not mentioned in the same report, R27,754.24 was allegedly spent at a bottle store in December using the school’s debit card.

The Staff Issues

The report also alleges:

• Staff appointments and salary changes made without SGB approval, including a R3,000 salary increase for an employee

• The school bursar resigned after allegedly being pressured to process unauthorised payments

“The bursar, placed in a professionally compromising position by instructions from the Headmaster, resigned after being directed to process unauthorised payments. Her resignation reflects the severity of governance breakdowns.”

The Conclusion

The report’s conclusion is stark:

“There is a total breakdown in the trust relationship between the SGB and the headmaster. The SGB’s confidence in the competences of the headmaster to manage the school in terms of the required standards is wholly eroded.”

The Bottom Line

A historic school. A suspended headmaster. A cash box at a private home. A bottle store spend. Depleted reserves. A resigned bursar.

Dale College is facing its biggest crisis in 164 years. The question now is whether it can recoverand who will lead it through the aftermath.

{Source: IOL}

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