GOVERNMENT has suspended three headmasters in Mashonaland West Province to expedite investigations into allegations of financial impropriety.
own correspondent
Provincial education director Sylvester Mashayamombe confirmed the development yesterday, adding that the three were suspended last month and several other school heads were under probe.
“Yes, I can confirm that quite a number of headmasters including those at Chemagamba, Alaska and Rukoba have been suspended to facilitate investigations over financially related misconduct. So far we have investigated 30 out of the 1 054 schools in the province,” Mashayamombe said.
Although Mashayamombe refused to divulge the figures involved, sources at Chemagamba High School said the headmaster allegedly abused about $12 000 meant to buy a schoolbus and owes the school tuck-shop $3 000.
Mashayamombe, however, said the Primary and Secondary Education ministry would only engage the police after internal investigations have confirmed the alleged abuse.
Bernard Basera, a parent at one of the schools, accused the government of taking long to investigate the alleged abuse of school money.
“Actually, I’m surprised why it took them (ministry) this long to investigate that funds are being misused as various petitions were written by parents to the ministry, but nothing was happening because education officers were also involved. Why are the police not being involved?” asked Basera Mashayamombe said the ministry had initiated financial management training programmes for school adminstrators to minimise cases of financial mismanagement.
