adminFreedom Mupanedemo
CHIEF Banga of Shurugwi allegedly appointed himself debt collector of a local primary school and went around with his aides confiscating DVDs, radios, plastic containers as well as livestock from parents with arrears in fees. The affected parents whose children attend Banga Primary School allegedly lost their property after the school approached Chief Banga to act on its behalf and help it recover its money from defaulting parents.
They said the school authorities went on to provide Chief Banga with a list of parents who owed the school.
The villagers further alleged that the school first filed their case against the defaulting parents at Chief Banga’s traditional court before the chief went on to rule in favour of the school.
They said the chief then unleashed a team of his aides, which is going around the community confiscating their property over the fees arrears.
They said the confiscated property would be auctioned at Banga Primary School yard on 27 June.
Chief Banga confirmed the development yesterday, saying he was a mere “magistrate” who ruled in favour of the school after it approached him with its case.
“Yes, the school approached me with their case in which they were arguing that parents have not been paying fees and levies for their children. The matter was brought before my court and I acted as magistrate and ruled in favour of the school after it was proved that some of the parents have not been paying for their children for some years now,” he said.
Chief Banga was reluctant to comment over the decision to go around the community confiscating villagers’ property over fees arrears.
He said Chronicle should have sent a team to his traditional court for the publication to appreciate the circumstances surrounding his ruling.
“Do you want children to learn for free? How then will the school operate? You should have attended the traditional court to hear for yourself how much the parents owed the school. You should also visit my home so that I can furnish you with all the details,” said the traditional leader.
The villagers, however, slammed their traditional leader’s decision.
They said the development was “strange and unacceptable”.
The villagers are now appealing to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development as well as that of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture to block the auction.
“I want to believe the move by our traditional leader was very wrong. The matter was not supposed to be heard before a traditional court in the first place. We should be appealing to him (Chief Banga) following the school’s move to confiscate our property but he is the one who is taking the property on behalf of the school. We are so desperate,” said one female villager.
She said she lost two goats and a 25 litre plastic container that she used for fetching water when the chief’s aides pounced on her homestead on Monday morning.
“I am a widow and have four children attending school at Banga Primary. I owe the school more than $500 and the chief’s aides came and took two goats and a 25 litre container, which I used to fetch water. Right now I am stranded and cannot go to the chief to appeal for help since he is the one who is sending his aides to take our property on behalf of the school,” said the woman.
Another villager said he lost his DVD and a radio and a container under the same circumstances.
“We are so confused and very upset by what our leader has done. The chief is adamant and determined to have the school, which is named after him, recover what it is owed by parents. Our property is due to be auctioned on 27 June at the school,” he said.
Banga Primary School deputy head, a Mr Shava referred all the questions to Chief Banga.
“Our traditional leader is the one who is dealing with that issue and I think he is the right person to talk to,” he said.
Online Reporter