Melinda Kusemachibi
Parents with children at Tongogara Primary School and other staff member are reportedly up in arms with the school head Aleck Mlambo whom they accuse of misusing school funds.
Parents and staff members allegedly wrote a petition letter to the Auditor General demanding explanation on how school funds were being handled by the authorities.
“We the grumbling staff members and refugee parents of children at Tongogara Primary Refugee School in Chipinge are kindly praying and requesting your reputable office to urgently come to the rescue of us teachers, parents and our learners, an audit that give us clarity on how public funds are handled ( school finance).
“We have witnessed children’s pass rate deteriorate as years pass by. Our children’s welfare and education have been grossly compromised to deplorable levels,” read the letter.
The letter further allege that they once wrote a petition to the school head but he did not respond.
“We sought audience from the head as we wrote a petition to him but were given a deaf ear. He just threatened to charge the 32 teachers. This has led us to assume that there is a gross mismanagement of funds at the institution since fees paid do not tally with services provided. Therefore we seek your intervention, “reads part of the letter.
They further allege that fees at the school is mainly paid in US$ but there is no meaningful development yet the school fees is paid by the NGOs.
“It is a donor funded school and the fees are paid every term by United National Higher Commissioner Refugee (UNHCR).
“It is believed that every term the school receives between US$35 000 to US$39 000 but on the ground, you cannot see what the money is being used for since infrastructural projects are usually done by (NGOs),” read the letter.
Teachers are alleged to be complaining about shortage of accommodation.
“It is self-evident, the school is failing to provide its staff with adequate accommodation, some members are living in cabins, harsh conditions and those cabins are from well-wishers (the donors).
When contacted for comment school head Aleck Mlambo said he does not know anything about that issue.
“I do not know about it, it is anonymous to me. Even the letter, l did not see it. The District Education Officers are still to give their recommendations about what they saw at the school,” said Mlambo.
Former Chipinge District Schools Inspector (DSI) Richard Gabaza said at some point teachers at the school once raised the same concerns and investigations were carried out.
“The teachers at Tongogara Primary School once wrote a petition when I was still DSI in Chipinge and investigations were carried out but nothing was found. However, youcan get in touch with the current DSI on the current situation,” said Gabaza.
Efforts to get a comment from DSI Abson Mapfumo were fruitless by the time of publication as his mobile number went unanswered.
