adminOLD Miltonians, a collective name for former students of Milton High School have reacted angrily to reports that the headmaster at the school, William Ncube is out to destroy their rich sporting legacy.
This publication reported last Sunday that Ncube, who has been at the school for just over a year, has been accused of frustrating sporting development at the school.
Former students have expressed their outrage and have even asked the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to move him from the school.
In comments posted on social network site Facebook in response to the story, some of the former students said they were not surprised by Ncube’s actions since the school he came from Luveve High has no history in sporting excellence.
“I will not congratulate a fish for swimming, the reason why the former school he headed did not excel in sport despite being situated in a suburb that is home to a lot of talent is pure testimony that he is retrogressive.
Someone must have seen it coming. For goodness sake, let it be known in black and white that his presence within the boundaries of Milton High School is adulterating the concept and tradition of being a Miltonian (Elephant) both old and new and is detrimental to the well being of future Miltonians which is very much envisaged.
This headmaster poses a threat to the sporting and academic gains my school is known for. He needs to be fired or canonised or whatever will come first, immediately so that we can upgrade our discussion to developmental issues,’’ said Emmanuel Nkwazi.
Tawanda Mhora, a former sports captain at the school feels that Milton could be far sporting wise were it not for Ncube.
“Well, that man is just anti-development, Milton should be very far if it wasn’t for him, don’t see why he should hate the school he heads,’’ Mhora said.
Another former student, Shepherd Zhou said it sounds like Ncube has a vendetta against the school because the changes he is making at Milton do not seem progressive.
Theodore Weale, a senior national team representative in basketball and rugby said reports that Ncube was anti-sports were worrying for them as Old Miltonians. Weale pointed out that they were trying to come together with other OMs to see how best they can uplift the image of the school.
Following the report carried by this publication, our moles at the school whose identity we will continue to protect have confirmed that officials from the district education office visited the school last Monday and Tuesday to carry out their investigations. It is understood that when they met teachers at the school, they asked them what the solution is, the staff suggested that teachers from Luveve should be brought to Milton and them (Milton teachers) be taken to Luveve since Ncube seemed determined to turn Milton into a replica of his former school.
During a recent visit to the school, Ncube did give indications at the fact that he is trying to clean up the image of the school since allegations of cheating by fielding non-students have been brought up against Milton by other schools.
Our sources at the school laughed off Ncube’s allegations and instead blamed him for this so called cheating since he refused to append his signature on corrected school identity cards for the students to compete at the inter-district athletics at White City Stadium.
It is understood that four athletes from the school failed to represent Bulawayo Central District at White City Stadium as Ncube declined to sign identity cards with corrections as for some strange reasons he believes that is cheating.
Ncube was said to be also furious when the school’s Under-14 basketball team was barred from contesting in a National Association of Secondary Heads event at Gifford High School because they did not have the school IDs. The headmaster has accused the staff who took the children to Gifford of embarrassing him as the fixture was not in the calendar but the teachers have maintained that the tournament was known way before.
Just to highlight how much Ncube has no appreciation for sporting success at the school, our sources have revealed that he did not even bother congratulating the school’s Under-20 basketball team when it successfully defended their provincial crown at Northlea High School last month which earned them the right to represent Bulawayo at a national event in Mutare in September. This is despite the fact that the shield which the boys won was delivered to his office where it is on display.
As Ncube was dragging his feet on engaging external coaches, the school’s rugby first team only got a coach a day before the pre-season Power Sales Schools Rugby Festival at Hartsfield in the form of former national team front rower, Aubrey Dube.
This lack of preparedness showed in their opening fixture of the two day rugby fiesta last Friday when they were hammered 59-7 by Churchill High School of Harare.
Milton could be disqualified from a lot of competitions during the schools second term as Ncube is said to have given a clear instruction to all teachers in charge of sports that he is the only one who signs school identity cards which are a part of the supporting documents for children to participate in a sporting activity against other schools.
There are fears that Milton might be prohibited from participating in the lucrative Copa Coca-Cola, an Under-16 football tournament if Ncube does not change his stance.
The district qualifiers start during the first week of the opening of schools and if the Milton players do not have the school IDs by then, they will not be allowed to take part.
Online Reporter