Online Reporter
Samuel Kadungure
News Editor
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has roped in the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and police to tackle rampant cases of fraud and deliberate sabotage by school authorities, exposed through internal audits, The Manica Post can reveal.
The Manica Post understands that the ministry has deployed auditors to several schools in Manicaland, uncovering significant misappropriation of school resources, and recommending criminal referrals to ZACC, and reimbursement in the same currency taken.
A recent audit at Mweyamutsvene High School in Mutare District, prompted by concerns over financial irregularities, revealed that approximately US$320 000 had been misappropriated from the school coffers over a two-year period.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the school head, Mrs Merceline Chibwe, allegedly tendered her resignation prior to the investigative audit, and subsequently went into hiding after learning that the matter was about to be reported to the anti-graft body and the police.
It is alleged that Mrs Chibwe exploited weaknesses in the school’s internal controls, manipulating cash transactions (banking and withdrawing) to embezzle funds, part of which she would convert to personal use.
Efforts to get a comment from Mrs Chibwe were fruitless as her mobile number provided to this reporter was continuously unreachable.
This incident is not isolated, as several school administrations in the province have been found to have poor financial management practices, with ministry internal audits ordering them to restitute the looted funds.
While some have complied, a few others have resisted, prompting the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to involve the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) or the police.
Parents have also raised red flags on school heads’ knack for splurging funds to attend functions, including sporting events that not even a single learner from their respective schools are participating, as well as milking them through imposing financial demands outside formal school fee structures approved by the Government.
Contacted for comment, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson, Mr Taungana Ndoro said the ministry has implemented rigorous auditing mechanisms to monitor school expenditures, with any irregularities detected being subjected to disciplinary action, which may include restitution and or criminal referral to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
Mr Ndoro said internal audits have identified the root causes of school funds abuse as weak internal controls, including poor segregation of duties (e.g, heads authorising and approving payments), limited accountability; inactive School Development Committees (SDCs) and parental oversight; and capacity gaps — untrained finance staff; and misinterpretation of guidelines.
“There is also an element of opportunism — where authorities are exploiting cash-based systems in remote schools with weak banking access. To counter that, the ministry has established enhanced monitoring mechanisms that include unannounced ‘spot audits’ by Provincial Internal Audit teams, whistle blower portals (toll-free) for anonymous reporting of fraud, and public disclosure of school finances on notice boards.
“Non-compliance triggers escalation to the Provincial Education Directors (PEDs) for immediate intervention. Action against non-compliant schools include administrative suspensions of school heads of finance committees under Public Finance Management Act and criminal referrals to ZACC for cases involving fraud or deliberate sabotage,” said Mr Ndoro.
Mr Ndoro also urged parents, guardians, communities and educators to report any suspected abuses of resources at any school through the district or provincial education offices.
He said to ensure compliance with audit recommendations, the ministry has established a multi-tiered framework that includes dedicated audit tracking units at provincial and district levels monitoring implementation timelines.
Furthermore, school heads are required to submit quarterly progress reports, verified by District Schools Inspectors (DSIs).
“We conduct mandatory workshops on Public Financial Management (PFM) and procurement regulations (eg, Treasury Circular 18 of 2021); digital accounting training for all schools using the Government Financial Management System (GFMS) and ethics modules co-facilitated by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission,” said Mr Ndoro.
Mr Ndoro said the ministry has also incorporated the anti-graft body to offer remedial training for school heads, especially on procurement procedures and adherence.
The Manica Post also has it on good authority that in an effort to address these irregularities, the ministry has also centralised the procurement of high-value assets, such as school buses, and is in the process of establishing integrity committees — which will serve as internal oversight bodies, promoting ethical conduct and preventing corruption within all educational institutions.
The committees will ensure adherence to codes of conduct, investigate misconduct, and recommend corrective actions, while fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, and integrity — crucial roles in curbing corruption.
The committees will also provide safe and confidential channel for reporting corruption, enabling schools to identify and address any detectable vulnerabilities.
The ministry’s decision to centralise procurement follows revelations that some school authorities were prioritising the acquisition of expensive assets, often by splitting tenders to receive kickbacks.
This was occurring despite the lack of essential learning and teaching materials, inadequate learning infrastructure, and insufficient ablution facilities in some of the schools.
