adminSINCE last year when the Government sanctioned the carrying out of forensic audits at schools in the country, shocking revelations of missing millions of dollars made the headlines.
School heads and SDA officials have been fingered for stealing money paid by hard pressed parents as levies and fees.
This scourge is not affecting Government institutions only but private colleges and mission schools as well – the embezzlement of funds is rampant.
Levies meant to upgrade classroom blocks, buy buses, build halls and a litany of other high sounding development projects at schools ended up in the pockets of a few corrupt elements.
As the audits revealed the shocking figures that disappeared, parents and guardians got enraged as the money they struggled to get got misused.
Detectives got entangled in the matrix bringing alleged culprits before the criminal courts to answer to theft charges.
Some were acquitted, others found guilty while some cases are still pending at the courts.
Elsewhere in this issue we carry a story in which the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has begun instituting disciplinary proceedings against school heads who were implicated in the scandals.
We were told by the Provincial Education Director, Mr Edward Shumba, that a total of seven schools heads have been charged for misconduct and they will be tried soon.
Although he did not name the alleged culprits for professional reasons, he said justice will be done.
In his own words Mr Shumba said those found guilty will either be discharged from the service or they will be ordered to repay the lost amounts. Some might be demoted depending on the gravity of the cases they are facing.
We request a speedy completion of this hearing exercise because justice delayed is justice denied on the part of parents and guardians who are irked by the millions they lost through these fraudulent activities.
As we write this editorial, there are school heads who are busy stealing because their colleagues who committed the same crimes years back have not been punished for their deeds.
By giving deterrent sentences, like dismissal, to those found guilty the ministry will be sending a clear message to those who want to follow suit.
We urge Mr Shumba and company to speed up the process and publish the names of those convicted because keeping a tight lid on what will be taking place tantamounts to shortchanging the very people whose money was stolen.
Parents want to know progress made to date. In the same vein, we would like to applaud the ministry for teaching its school heads on good financial management skill as this would curb future cases whereby heads commit crimes out of ignorance.
Now that they have been equipped on how to run the cash books, there is no excuse for mishaps. Anything that happens now is a clear case of organised crime, which must be punished heavily. Parents want schools to be run transparently.
Online Reporter