Lukhanyiso bus saga- company demands written apology from school to release bus

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter

A Harare headquartered vehicle body engineering company has vowed not to release a 66-seater luxury bus bought by Lukhanyiso Primary School in Bulawayo unless school authorities and the School Development Committee (SDC) issue a public apology having previously claimed the company delivered a substandard bus invoiced as a brand new product.

The discourse, even resulted in the then headmaster of the school Mr Thintitha Mpofu and the School Development Committee Mr Phethengani Nyoni being arrested over fraud charges following a police report by two parents at the instigation of a named member of the Lukhanyiso Primary School administration.

After the duo was taken in for questioning, parents set up an ad hoc committee chaired by the Mzilikazi district schools inspector Ms Zanele Muyambo. Both the police and the committee cleared Mr Mpofu and Mr Nyoni but the company that supplied the bus, Willovale Vehicle Body Engineering, believes their image was badly damaged by the allegations that they supplied a substandard product.

After getting wind of an explosive annual general meeting held at the school on 24 February where parents resolved that the bus must be returned to the school, following a 2018 resolution that the bus must be returned to the supplier, Willovale Vehicle Body Engineering said whatever the parents agreed on will not compel them to release the bus until the school and parents apologise for soiling their name.

Company managing director Mr Silvester Matambo said the bus had a 36-month guarantee just like all buses that schools have purchased from them, especially those in Bulawayo. He said the bus will not leave their workshop until a written apology from the school was submitted.

“One thing to note is that the bus had a guarantee of 36 months or 150 000 km and performed very well. The problem with Lukhanyiso was that the parents’ body was influenced by someone in the school management that some bus funds were embezzled, leading to numerous squabbles. When the bus came to Harare in March 2019 for routine servicing, we were then informed that the parents no longer wanted the bus. So, it’s still parked at our workshop since that time. We will need a written apology from that parents’ body for us to release the bus. This school has tarnished our image for years through reckless and uncalled-for articles on various media platforms. Can you imagine having to be dragged through their personal vendettas from 2016, it’s just ridiculous,” fumed Mr Matambo.

He said the purchase price of the bus was never for a brand new bus, but a refurbished vehicle which was clearly communicated to the SDC. The purchase price was $120 000.

“The school made it clear to us that there will be no deposit since they were being sponsored by the bank. We were supposed to use our resources to produce the bus. We were supposed to do all the work and once the bus was finished, we then invite the school and the bank for inspection, but in our wisdom, we thought we could move with the school during all the production stages. As a result, we offered to sponsor a delegation at each stage during production to come to Harare to offer their input and we paid for all the expenses for those trips. We religiously did that even though we could see that there were simmering tensions within the school,” said Mr Matambo.

 @skhumoyo2000.