Parents demostrate againt school head
PARENTS with children at Cement Primary School in Cement Siding in Bulawayo, last week staged a demonstration against the school’s headmistress, demanding her immediate transfer from the school for alleged misappropriation of funds.
The demonstration was held on Monday, where parents barred school staff from entering the school, chanting slogans against the school’s headmistress Ms Jennifer Mpofu, whom they want to be immediately transferred from the school accusing her of mismanaging the institution.
A member of the School Development Committee, Ms Askiya Phiri, said parents were fed up with Ms Mpofu, whom they felt was not capable of running the school.
“She has a distasteful track record; parents have been calling for her removal since last year. The call for her removal arose after she told parents with children to pay $64 (per head) towards the procurement of a bus in 2015. The school’s enrolment was well over 300 at the time and the school wanted to raise about $30 000. Each child was to pay that amount in three months.
“After about three months, after parents had paid she never came back to them to tell them how much had been raised. The school continued collecting money until 2016. It was in November 2016 that she bought a second hand Costa bus, which is just a wreck. It has never been used and needs the attention of a mechanic, the bus is believed to have been used as an emergency taxi in Magwegwe,” said Ms Phiri.
Ms Phiri said Ms Mpofu told parents that they had managed to raise $16 000, which was paid towards the bus leaving an outstanding balance of $2 000.
“What she did was not what we agreed on. A committee was elected to oversee the procurement of the bus but was somehow dissolved at her request. There was no other committee that was elected or appointed to that effect.
“Instead she only adopted one person to play several roles in the procurement of the bus,” said Ms Phiri.
She said since the bus was procured last year Ms Mpofu has evaded several attempts to address the issue with parents.
“Parents have since resolved to call for her removal. They said she should be removed from the school, take her bus with her and reimburse the school,” said Ms Phiri.
She added that parents had since resolved to open a police case against her.
“We reported the matter to the police last year, police then requested for an audit from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education but auditors said there was no money that was misappropriated, which we feel is not true. The audit was flawed and we need higher officials to step in,” said Ms Phiri.
Bulawayo provincial education director Mrs Ollicah Kaira said she was aware of the matter and requested for an interview this week, as she felt the matter was very sensitive.
“Let’s meet at the office, as this is a volatile issue, we don’t want to turn it any worse,” she said.
Last year the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education was reported to have been investigating Cement Side Primary School head for alleged misuse of school funds amid.
Mrs Kaira is reported, then to have said the matter was under investigation.
“I was informed of what was taking place at Cement Side Primary School and we are carrying out internal investigations to establish the truth. We are going to engage the parents and the authorities,” she was reported saying.
Allegations against Ms Mpofu came to light during an emergency meeting which was called by Imbizo District Schools Inspector Mr Misheck Ngwenya last year. So tense was the meeting that the parents walked out.
However, asked to comment Ms Mpofu said: “I am not aware of what they are talking about. I have done nothing but to respect the parents and I have tried to work amicably with them.’’