The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
TEACHERS reportedly behind the instability and chaos at Tudi 1 Primary School in Matobo District, Matabeleland South, have claimed they were singled out by the school and provincial education authorities because of their refusal to look the other way as corruption took hold of the institution.
Mr Arnold Mapiye and Mr Sifiso Ncube, the two teachers at the centre of a storm that has reportedly resulted in the disruption of pupils’ life at the school over a period of three years, are alleging that a wide ranging conspiracy, meant to cover for the financial maladministration of former school headmaster, Mr Saziso Moyo, was the reason why they were being vilified.
This is despite the fact that Mr Moyo left the school last year.
Mr Mapiye and Mr Ncube, alongside two other teachers, were transferred to schools outside the district after disciplinary proceedings.
Due to this, they have not been paid for 23 months, with authorities informing them that they would only be remunerated after reporting to their new work stations, something which they have been objecting to.
The two were also accused of assault after an incident at the school but were acquitted in October last year.
In an interview with the Sunday News Mr Ncube, who was the school’s acting headmaster before Mr Moyo took over, claimed a ‘fake audit’ of his tenure was the reason why they were suspended and eventually transferred.
The audit, undertaken by Messrs Mandiedza Tendayi and Maguhudze Munyaradzi revealed that the school was operating without a services fund and proper legal documents.
The audit also showed that finance committee minutes were not being signed while there was poor compilation of payment vouchers. The auditors also concluded that there was no handover takeover between the outgoing and incoming school heads. Mr Moyo took over from Mr Ncube in July 2019.
“There are areas that we feel must be made known to the nation: The first is that a false audit report was used to open cases against us and key information was omitted ‘deliberately’ by the Auditor. Moyo came to Tudi 1 in July 2019 and during his time wrote false minutes pretending to be village heads spelling out that we must be transferred from Tudi,” said Mr Ncube.
The former acting school head also claimed that the District Schools Inspector (DSI), Mr Headman Mpofu, was involved in the conspiracy as he knew of financial irregularities at the school.
“Special arrangements in 2019 were made by the DSI and Agribank Maphisa to allow Mr S Moyo to make withdrawals whilst not a signatory and there is no accountability of these funds up to date.
Parents were made to pay unapproved school fees ranging from $60 going upwards.
They knew all fraudulent acts by Moyo and to cover up for him, he threatened the community so as to silence them. After unprocedural charges and suspensions, we are now nearly 23 months without pay on unspecified reasons.
We have written to the DSI, PED, Permanent Secretary, Public Service seeking for a board of Inquiry but all these have given us a deaf ear,” he said.
Despite accusations by villagers that spoke to Sunday News that they were disruptive, Mr Ncube said that they were blameless victims in an elaborate conspiracy.
“We are being victimised politically, financially, socially, emotionally and everything that is being done is to tarnish our images,” he said.
Mr Mapiye said they were trying to take their issue to higher offices.
“We have also written to the Clerk of Parliament at the desk of Primary and Secondary Education and Legal Affairs Committee. Our story has been read in Parliament. These are efforts to tarnish us before we go to present our story to the nation in Parliament and we definitely going.
Can we stand before the Parliament if we are rogue, fraudulent and terrorist?” he said.
When contacted for comment, Matobo DSI Headman Mpofu said he was unaware of the pair’s issue.
However, a document seen by Sunday News indicate that in a letter dated 12 November 2019, he reported the pair to police in Sun Yet Sen after disturbances at the school.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Matobo District has noted with concern disturbances at Tudi 1 Primary School. This has resulted in children being forced out of school by rogue elements, internal connivance to steal and remove security items from the Head’s office, death threats to the head of school by locals and leadership.
I therefore request your office to assist the Ministry to investigate criminal and corruption conduct that could seriously impair the proper administration or functioning of the Ministry/School,” the letter read.
