Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
AN accountant at Queen Elizabeth High School has been fined US$800 for misappropriating school funds totaling $2 650.
Josiah Chagumaira (45) was convicted of theft following a trial overseen by Harare Provincial Head Magistrate Mr Vakayi Chikwekwe. Chagumaira faces an eight-month prison sentence if he fails to pay the fine.
He also received a six-month suspended sentence on the condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.
The school’s headmistress, Tsungai Makura, represented Queen Elizabeth High School in the case.
The prosecution established that in January 2025, the school contracted Juwacorn Electrical Construction to carry out various repairs, which were quoted at US$2 732,80.
On February 21, 2025, Chagumaira facilitated a payment of the quoted amount to Juwacorn’s account.
After the payment was processed on February 24, he made an additional payment of the same amount to the company.
Upon realising the double payment, Chagumaira contacted a representative of Juwacorn, instructing them to withdraw the excess funds in cash rather than initiate a transaction reversal.
The representative questioned this request; however, Chagumaira insisted on receiving the funds in cash without notifying any school authorities about the double allocation or his cash withdrawal instructions.
During a routine verification of school accounts on February 25, the headmistress discovered the double payment.
Following additional inquiries with Juwacorn, it was confirmed that the representative had indeed withdrawn US$2 650 in cash, which was handed over to Chagumaira’s associate.
After receiving the cash, Chagumaira failed to deposit the money into Queen Elizabeth High School’s designated account and did not inform the school authorities.
On March 5, 2025, following difficulties with police investigations, the headmistress escalated the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
Further investigations revealed that Chagumaira had kept the US$2 650 without the school’s consent.
In an apparent attempt to conceal his actions, Chagumaira later made a deposit of US$2 760 into the school’s government account, which was inappropriate for cash transactions.
