Parents refuse to pay school fees

2012-09-03 11:32

Picture: Shutterstock

Johannesburg - The parents of a Pretoria Boys High School pupil could lose two of their properties for allegedly refusing to pay their son's outstanding school fees, The Star newspaper reported on Monday.

In papers before the North Gauteng High Court, the parents had not paid their son's school fees for three years, totalling almost R100 000, the newspaper said.

The father, a city businessman who owns a property in an affluent suburb in the east of Pretoria and another in Mamelodi, refused to pay the fees because he accused the school of being racist.

According to papers, the father said the government should pay the fees, not him, and that he would persist in enrolling his three children at the school while not paying "one cent towards their schooling".

Judge Peter Mabuse ordered that the two properties had to be sold on execution to recover the outstanding fees.

The order was suspended on condition the couple make monthly payments of R10 000 to the school, beginning in September.

Harry Todd, chairperson of the school's governing body, said the school was forced to go to court as the parents had not paid fees for 2009, 2010 and 2011.

This was despite three lower courts ordering the parents to pay and a warrant being issued attaching the couple's assets on execution to be sold to pay the fees if left unpaid, The Star reported.

- SAPA