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Lister Mlotshwa, Sunday News Reporter
PARENTS have threatened to burn down Tshebetshebe Elementary School in Bulawayo after they received threats from a number purporting to be a school official, demanding that they clear outstanding school fees or face ‘hell in December’.
The school, located in Pumula South demanded that parents pay US$150 for the remaining two months of the third term and then threatened there will be hell to pay in December if parents fail to clear outstanding balances as the school is not rendering services for free.
Parents’ spokesperson Mr Malvin Ncube said what made parents want to burn down the school were the threats they received from a South African number claiming that failure to clear outstanding fees balances “there would be hell to pay”.
The message said the school is not a voluntary school to offer free educational services which parents found it very odd for the school to communicate with them in that manner.
“We found it very odd for the school to threaten us telling us if we fail to pay fees which were hiked without consultation to US$ 150 considering the term only had two months or one month for other pupils. On top of that they sent us messages from a South African number claiming that the school is not a voluntary institution so failure to clear all outstanding balances there will be hell to pay” he said.
Mr Barnmike Moyo, a parent of a pupil writing his grade seven exams this year, said the school is not even offering the services they said they will deliver when they registered.
“Every term our children are introduced to new teachers. How will the teachers keep up with our children’s progress if they changed termly. Additionally, they are demanding that we pay US$150 for these remaining two months and threaten us that if we don’t pay there will be consequences. We know that the school is not operating for free but there are proper ways to communicate with parents, not to send threatening messages” he said.
School Development Committee chairperson Mr Reuben Ndwalaza who managed to address the angry parents said the school did not threaten parents and did not use any South African registered cellphone number.
“We did not send anyone to threaten parents over fees and we will never threaten them in that manner but I promise that fees will be reviewed down and on behalf of the school I apologies for the threats that angered parents.”
Online Reporter