This has since led to disgruntled and irate workers venting out and criticising the school management. Workers allege that the Ad Laudem Independent School near Universitas Academic Hospital has for at least two years been paying them in portions or instalments, which have over time decreased to as little as R400 per payment.

Workers who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, allege that the management of the school, including the school owner, Lizette Roets, the head of finance, her husband Johan Roets, and the human resources management, have been receiving "fat cheques every month" whilst the staff continue to struggle to pay their bills.

The staff tells OFM News that some have been blacklisted while others have lost their housing due to continuous late payments.

The school's management has refuted the allegations, claiming that they have an unnecessary and negative impact on the school's image. The school also caters to students with special needs.

Owner and founder Roets told OFM News in an interview that the 7-year-old school has tried every possible way to sort out its financial issues, but it is still reeling from the effects of Covid-19. In a detailed interview, she mentioned how she had fought for her staff to avoid laying them off.

"We had issues with parents not paying, they used Covid-19 as an excuse and we had to make other plans. We sold our personal vehicles and that money went to the school. We sold the school bus to get money to pay salaries," she says.

"We reduced our own salaries, we told the auditor that we don’t want to be paid a salary anymore. We have always consulted our staff and kept them up to date. We have minutes of the meetings to prove that. We have always been transparent and kept them in the loop."

The school's head of finance, Johan Roets, told OFM News that the recent issues were due to disgruntled employees who were fired for various offences. He explains that the school suffered financial problems. He says it is owed almost R3 million by both active and inactive parents.

The debt of parents who have since left the school runs into "millions of rands", while active parents owe the school over a million rand.

Johan says they had a R500 000 garnishee order from the South African Revenue Services (SARS). He says at some point the school tried to change its income model, but this caused a deficit of over a million rand. Parents were requested not to pay in advance as per the norm and with an agreement from the school, and this meant the school lost over a million rand.

The school is currently still paying salaries for the month of November. Both Lizette and Johan have since pleaded with disgruntled employees and parents to find an amicable solution for the trouble at the school as it will have a negative impact on the pupils.

OFM News