The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Monday, July 21, 1996— Pupils in an ‘O’ Level Food and Nutrition class at Sobukhazi Secondary School in Mzilikazi are being used as caterers at weddings by their teacher without their parents’ permission, it has been alleged.

A guardian of one of the students concerned, Mr Bhekimpilo Ngwenya, said that while parents had been led to believe that their children were attending Saturday afternoon Food and Nutrition lessons at the school, the teacher was actually using them as caterers at wedding receptions. The children were then paid $10 each for their services, Mr Ngwenya claimed.

He said the matter came to light when his sister returned home at 11pm in the company of a teacher last week. The teacher apologised profusely for bringing the child home late and allegedly confessed that the children had been doing “practical work” at a wedding, Mr Ngwenya said.

“Apparently, this has happened on four occasions, but we never took much notice until my sister returned home late last Saturday.”

Mr Ngwenya said a group of parents protested to the school’s headmaster, Mr Khanda Dube, who promised to investigate.

Mr Dube, however, refused to discuss the matter and replaced the receiver when the matter was raised by a reporter.

The teacher in question, who would not give her name, said she had asked for volunteers to work as caterers at the wedding since the pupils do not get enough practice at school.