Parents, teachers up in arms against Victoria Falls’ Chinotimba Primary School headmistress

CHINOTIMBA Primary School in Victoria Falls is on the verge of losing teachers en-masse amid reports some have applied for either transfer or early retirement in protest over ill-treatment by the school head who is also accused of forcing learners to do menial jobs during lesson time.

With only four months at the school, Ms Thandiwe Mathema is also alleged to have flouted tender procedures after overriding the procurement committee’s resolution and imposed her husband, Mr Ben Mhlanga, as a supplier to the school.

Ms Mathema joined the school as a substantive head, replacing long serving Mrs Cynthia Khumalo, the former National Association of Primary School Heads president who retired four months ago.

Before joining Chinotimba, Ms Mathema was substantive head at Neluswi Primary School in Jambezi.

She is former deputy head at Baobab Primary School in the city and Monde Primary School outside Victoria Falls and Chronicle was told she unceremoniously left both schools after clashing with parents and co-teachers.

At Monde she was reportedly once beaten up by a parent.

Parents have immediately written to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education demanding that Ms Mathema be removed from the school to protect the institution and learners.

It is claimed that Ms Mathema allegedly orders teacher to pick litter and clean around the school despite the fact that the school has general hand staff. There are 43 teachers at the school.

The Chronicle was told by close sources that four teachers have applied for transfer while some have applied for early retirement as they cannot cope with the environment.

“Teachers are forced to pick litter and sweep the yard. She tells female teachers to bring cloths to wrap around themselves and clean the school. Learners only start lessons around 10am daily as they are forced to clean around the school before lessons,” said a concerned parent.

“She can also get into any class and stop a lesson and order learners to go and do some general work,” said a parent.

Ms Mathema reportedly recently ordered the procurement committee to rescind its resolution and imposed her husband as the school supplier.

The school had tendered for supply of firewood for the schools feeding programme and the committee sought three quotations and recommended one of them.

When the committee presented its report to Ms Mathema, she reportedly overrode its recommendation and immediately scribbled a quotation on behalf of her husband and ordered that he be paid US$100 to supply firewood.

The School Development Committee petitioned the District Schools Inspector Mr Lawrence Matshazi expressing displeasure about maladministration, flouting tender procedures, abusing learners and insulting teachers in public.

It is alleged that she also openly dressed down a Public Service Commission official who visited the school to investigate the issue a few days ago.

The SDC is demanding that the head be removed from the school.

The DSI responded by sending a team to investigate the issue a few days.

SDC chair Mr Bhekimpilo Tshongwe confirmed the developments but referred questions to the DSI.

“Yes is is true we wrote a petition and the case is in the hands of the DSI as we have reported to him,” said Mr Tshongwe.

Contacted for comment Mr Mahlangu confirmed receiving the complaints and said the issue had been escalated to authorities and was being investigated.

Ms Mathema is also accused of imposing her young sister to replace a teacher who went on maternity leave.

Contacted for comment, she denied all the allegations saying she was not aware of the things she is accused of doing.

She, however, said the Ministry was investigating and she is waiting for a report of findings.

“I don’t know about all that. I was not in when those things happened and I know nothing about that. Actually the Ministry is handling that issue and they haven’t come to me with their findings from teachers. They asked teachers to write letters about the allegations that I don’t know about,” she said.

-@ncubeleon