The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Farawo
A school head at Chipadze High in Mashonaland Central province, who is alleged to have engaged in corruption and maladministration of the learning institution, leading to attachment of school property over a debt, has been suspended pending investigations.Last week, the messenger of courts attached property worth several thousands of dollars at the school, raising fears that the institution might fail to open when the new term commences on 10 January.
The attachment of the property came after a local furniture supply company was granted a writ of execution by the High Court to attach the property to recover US$106 000 owed by the school.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Dr Lazarus Dokora confirmed the suspension of Mr Ruramai Mashangana and has vowed to ensure that normalcy returns at the school.
He made the statements after visiting the school last week to get first-hand information. Some of the attached property include a 75-seater school bus, a Toyota Hiace mini-bus, an Isuzu truck, fridges, photocopying machines and office furniture.
“The headmaster has been suspended for maladministration pending investigations into the case,” said Dr Dokora.
He said the school purchased over 2 000 chairs and an equal number of desks worth US$161 400 from a local company but failed to service the debt. The school administrators are alleged to have flouted tender procedures in the purchase of the property.
“The school applied for the increase of school levies paid by parents so that they could buy the chairs and desks,” said the minister.
“It was approved (by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education), but because of a misunderstanding in their School Development Association, some members slashed the approved levy increase, resulting in the failure by the school to pay its debts.”
Last year, more than 70 headmasters were suspended while some were fired for criminal abuse of office and fraud involving money deposited by parents as school levy.
The move followed a nationwide audit which exposed various malpractices involving school authorities and some members of the school development authorities
