Online Reporter
Sunday News Reporter
A ministerial appointed panel will this week conduct a hearing for Kumalo Primary School head, Stella Mhlanga, who is facing allegations of misconduct.
According to a notification of the pending hearing from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at the school.
A panel appointed by the ministry will preside over the proceedings, carefully reviewing the evidence presented and hearing testimonies from relevant parties.
Mhlanga, who is also facing allegations of embezzling school funds, is due for a trial in a court of law, with her case having been remanded to 18 June.
Parents with children at the school have demanded her immediate removal from the school.
The parents, through the School Development Committee (SDC), said they are worried about how the ministry is dawdling in handling the situation, given that Mhlanga already has a bad track record.
“We are deeply worried. How can we trust someone who is accused of mismanaging the very funds meant to benefit our children? It’s simply unacceptable. There is low payment of fees as parents are worried about losing money,” said members of the SDC.
“Our children deserve a stable and trustworthy learning environment. We will not rest until we see a change at the top.”
The situation at the school, said the SDC members, highlights the critical importance of transparency and accountability in educational institutions.
“As the legal proceedings unfold, the school community remains on edge, hoping for a resolution that will restore faith and ensure a brighter future for their children.”
Mhlanga’s legal troubles began in February when allegations surfaced that she and four other members of staff had misappropriated a significant amount of school funds.
Bulawayo Provincial Education Director Mr Bernard Mazambani said Mhlanga’s issue was taking a toll on the ministry, and stern measures will be taken to address the situation.
He said the ministry has instituted disciplinary proceedings against her.
“Understand that police are following their procedures, and we, too, have disciplinary processes already underway. Investigations have been made,” said Mr Mazambani.
He said a team of auditors from Matabeleland North Province had been dispatched to investigate the matter.
“The investigations are not yet over, and we are worried about the whole situation as it is setting a bad precedent for our province,” said Mr Mazambani.
He mentioned that the province had recommended Mhlanga’s suspension pending the resolution of the cases, but the suspension was overturned by the ministry’s head office.
It is reported that the team from Matabeleland North held a meeting with the SDC and some of the accused staff, but Mhlanga did not attend, claiming she had pressing issues to attend to.
Recently, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission expressed concern over the widespread misuse of funds by school heads and, in some cases, School Development Committees.
In recent years, several school heads and SDC chairpersons have been arrested for misappropriating funds for personal use, which has harmed pupils.
Last year, Mhlanga was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing. During that period, the ministry appointed Deputy Head, Eneles Sibanda as acting head until the matter was resolved.
However, Mhlanga was reinstated on 4 September last year.
Her disciplinary hearing, scheduled for 29 August 2024, failed to take place after the chairman of the disciplinary committee, Lameck Mudyiwa, did not show up for the meeting for unexplained reasons.
Her tumultuous history dates back to 2015 when she was dismissed from Magwegwe Primary School amid protests from concerned parents, leading to intervention from anti-riot police.
