Chronicle EditorWalter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
KNIVES are out for Zaka District schools inspector Mrs Beulah Shambambeva over allegations of misuse of funds, corruption and abuse of office, among a plethora of allegations. According to a petition addressed to Masvingo provincial education director Mr Zadius Chitiga and copied to National Association of Primary School Heads and National Association of Secondary School Heads, Ms Shambambeva is also accused of abusing Better Schools Programme funds.
The same petition was copied to Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango, the President Department Office in Zaka, District Public Service Commission manager Ms Euvencio Hungwe, and provincial Public Service Commission manager – a Mr Makuza. Ms Shambambeva professed ignorance of the petition, saying she had not seen it yet.
“I have not seen the petition despite having heard about it,” she said yesterday. However, Mr Chitiga confirmed receiving a copy of the petition, saying they were looking into the matter. “Yes, I can confirm there are issues that school heads from Zaka district raised against one of our inspectors, Mrs Shambambeva, and I have received the petition,” he said. “Investigations are already in progress.”
Sources said Mrs Shambambeva, who has also been dragged to the Civil Court by a Zaka business seeking a peace order against her, is also accused of intimidating her juniors, threatening them with dismissal for no apparent reasons. Mrs Shambambeva, said the sources, is also accused of failure to account for NAPH and NASH funds given to her on the understanding that she would attend the NAPH Heads conference in 2016 in Victoria Falls and the NASH Heads Conference in Kariba (2017). The allegations indicate she never attended the two conferences.
“She was given $750.00 ($250.00 per NAPH circuit) in 2016 and $400.00 in 2017 for the NASH conference,” reads part of the petition. The school heads also alleged that Mrs Shambambeva used BSP funds to compensate a Zaka High School teacher after his car was involved in an accident while doing official duties.
“We also query the statute that authorised the teacher in question’s personal vehicle for doing official duties for District Annual Science Sports and Arts Festival and the Provincial Annual Sports Festival activities,” heads said in the petition. We seek clarification on $650 claimed by the owner of the vehicle when the statutes do not allow the use of private vehicles for the above activities.”
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