Ministerial audit exposes rot at Deaf Centre
Gothataone Moeng | Friday May 9, 2014 15:18
An internal audit into the books of the centre, funded almost exclusively by the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) through the Department of Special Support Services, found possible falsification of records and utilisation of funds for items not initially intended for.
The audit also found that the centre management failed to provide documentation or information to the team carrying out the audit. The Botswana Society for the Deaf (BSD), which describes itself as a charitable and non-profit making organisation, manages the centre, which provides pre-primary and primary schooling for deaf children. It also runs the Francistown Centre for Deaf Education.
Through a grant to the BSD, the MoESD funds operational expenses, including bills and salaries at both the Ramotswa and Francistown centres.
Yesterday, as 35 employees went on their fourth day of a peaceful sit-in protesting non-payment of their salaries, the centre management had reportedly moved swiftly to get Tirelo Sechaba participants to help with duties at the institution. BSD Executive Director Orapeleng Mokgosi had apparently also engaged some people to stand-in for the housemothers at the hostels who continued with the sit-in.
“We are still sitting here. We will only go to work once our salaries are in,” one employee told Mmegi yesterday.
The employee said Mokgosi came to address the disgruntled workers on Tuesday, where she reportedly apologised for not addressing them as per the request they had made to her in a letter. “Our salaries are still not in. The director told us that we should wait for next week Friday, but we don’t know if that means the salary will be in on Friday or not. She told us that with the Ministry of Education you have to push them to get the money,” an employee said.
However, Mmegi investigations have revealed that the MoESD may withhold funds to the two centres while awaiting the BSD response to the allegations of the maladministration.
In a letter addressed to the Executive Director of the BSD, signed by Director of the Department of Special Support Services, Leonard Muthetho, stated that the BSD response would determine whether the ministry would continue funding the centre.
“Please note that your response will assist the ministry to make informed decisions including approval and allocation of funds to the two institutions, i.e Francistown Centre for the Deaf Education and Ramotswa Centre for the Deaf Education,” the letter states. Efforts to get a comment from Mokgosi were unsuccessful.