School governor Natalie Maimane‚ the wife of DA leader Mmusi Maimane‚ did not respond to TimesLIVE e-mails‚ text messages and phone calls about social media posts alleging she played a role in Mthembu’s departure.
Mthembu said she was given an ultimatum by principal Di Berry and governing body chairman Gavin Downard to resign or face disciplinary action that would “ruin her reputation”.
They told her some parents “questioned my competency and were unhappy that I was teaching their children. One parent was apparently so unhappy that she decided to take her daughter out of my class to be home-schooled and only to return to the school next year‚” Mthembu said.
During her first meeting with parents‚ the 26-year-old University of Cape Town graduate said she was questioned about where she had qualified and whether she could show proof of her qualifications.
Following a CCMA process this week the governing body apologised to Mthembu‚ saying that it is sorry she “did not experience these measures [mentorship] as supportive”.
Its letter to Mthembu said: “As an SGB we have recognised that the school’s institutional culture does not fully reflect the diversity of South Africa and we have publicly committed to changing this. It is a priority.