This article explicates the viewpoints of school managers from various dysfunctional, historically black African schools. The 56 school managers from four Eastern Cape districts addressed several questions pertaining to what is really causing the lapse of management and leadership in various "failing schools". Both these aspects apparently have a bearing on the performance of learners and educators. This was an explorative, qualitative study. Data was collected through focus group sessions with eight participants per session. All the schools represented are, by admission of the participants, "beset with varying managerial and academic problems" and are also labelled ineffective by the immediate communities. The participants highlighted a number of challenges that plagued their schools. The majority also attributed their schools' under-performance to a number of aspects, including the lack of vision, absence of emphasis on teacher development, poverty in communities and apparent invisibility of district officials.