It seems not only parents are given limited access to their children at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Members of the SAPS say they, too, are restricted.
Members of the Meyerton police station are required to do regular patrols at all schools in their area - but not at the academy.
An officer, who preferred not to be named, said: "They don't want us there; they have told us that they have very tight security."
He claimed that on the day the academy opened, the station commander went to speak to the organisers because they had not been invited, but had read it was going to be "a high-profile gathering and Nelson Mandela was going to be present".
"Even then," the officer further alleged, "they said we can patrol outside, they didn't want us on the premises."
The officer said he was concerned that should anything happen at the school, the police would be required to go and investigate without having had proper prior contact with the management.
"I think Ms Winfrey is making a big mistake," he commented, "because even our deputy president's house was broken into and criminals always have a way, and the very security guys she has put her trust in can disappoint her."
When the Saturday Star visited the academy, one of the security personnel confirmed they were told not to allow the police inside the school, "and they should leave their reports with us".
The police are required to keep such reports.
The CEO of the academy, John Samuel, is adamant there is nothing wrong, as the police are expected to patrol at public schools and theirs is an independent school.
"Yes, the police are required to patrol, but at public schools. We are not a regular private school. Ours is a unique school and we are working out what is in the girls' best interests," said Samuel. But he promised to schedule a meeting with the station commissioner "to clear any misunderstanding".
He added that the management was in no way isolating the girls from their families, and on Sundays they were allowed an hour to call their parents.
This newspaper recently reported that a pupil had been asked to leave the school, but neither Samuel nor representatives for Winfrey would comment.
It has also been reported that pupils and members of the parent body are concerned that there isn't enough contact between the children and their families. A proposed teleconference with Winfrey to discuss these and other concerns was reportedly cancelled.