adminLuthando Mapepa
A LEGAL showdown is looming between parents with pupils attending school at United Church of Christ of Zimbabwe-owned Mt Selinda High School and the responsible authority over the confiscation of a Toyota D4D vehicle belonging to the headmaster last year.
The church has vowed never to return the vehicle.
In a petition signed at the Annual General Meeting on March 10 by a total of 120 parents, they argued that the vehicle was bought by parents for use at the school and not for church business.
The petition reads: “. . . we the parents of Mt Selinda High School pupils note with grave concern that up to this date the vehicle is not yet back at the school despite the demand made by the parents during March 28, 2015 AGM.
“It is also sad the vehicle has triggered a lot of mayhem and disorder at the school, both for the administration and among the pupils.
“It is our strong conviction that the vehicle was bought by parents for school business and not for church business.
“Therefore, parents gathered today, March 12, 2016 demand that you to return the vehicle within 48 hours from the date of receiving this petition, failure to
which, parents will take legal action to recover it,” reads part of the petition.
Last year, Mt Selinda High School militant pupils took to the streets protesting against church officials for illegally confiscating the vehicle from their headmaster, Reverend Watson Bundwa’s.
The church highest decision body, the Synod in 2014 booted out Rev Bundwa as the school head citing a plethora of allegation which ranges from insubordination as well as running the accounts of the school without the knowledge of the responsible authority.
However, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education reversed the church decision by reinstating Reverend Bundwa’s as the school headmaster.
Contacted for comment on Tuesday, UCCZ vice-president, Rev Godfrey Dundu, said the church would not succumb to the parents’ demands.
He said the vehicle was in the safe custody of the responsible authority.
“The church position is clear that the vehicle belongs to the responsible authority which is UCCZ Church.
“There are so many vehicles at the school which can be used for school business.
“We will not be moved by the 48 hours petition which was signed by these parents. They (parents) should stop interfering in church affairs and focus more on their children’s education.
“The school was opened long back in 1893 and has excelled in various disciplines. I cannot say much on this issue, please contact our church president for finer details,” said Rev Dundu.
Efforts to get a comment from UCCZ Church president, Reverend Ephraim Ngadziore were fruitless at the time of going to Press as his given mobile numbers were not reachable.
Online Reporter