Newsday
By Silas Nkala
19 February 2011
Education, Arts, Sport and Culture minister David Coltart has expressed concern over alleged corrupt activities by school development committees (SDC) and school heads and said culprits should be prosecuted.
Coltart’s remarks came in the wake of recent corruption reports at Milton High School in Bulawayo where the SDC had been accused of corruption.
Chairman of the committee Kizito Musekwa recently admitted at the school annual general meeting he channelled money from the SDC coffers to his own business, Paper Tek Enterprises, and supplied the school with photocopied books which he inavoiced to the tune of $7 449.
Parents demanded that the money be refunded before February 26 and have since relieved Musekwa of his duties.
Coghlan Primary School had also been plagued by reports of corruption with parents accusing the school development association (SDA) of misappropriating money meant for teachers’ incentives.
Parents said they were cooperating in the payment of incentives but accused the SDA chairman Sibangani Nkomo of misappropriating the funds and using them to conduct his own business.
Nkomo refuted the allegations.
Several schools across the country are reportedly facing similar corrupt activities, a development which has created mistrust among the parents, SDCs and school heads.
Coltart on Friday said the rot in schools had become a cause for concern for the ministry and challenged parents to report any cases of corrupt activities to Education offices.
“Those who are found guilty must be prosecuted.
“If parents establish any incidents of corruption, they must not hesitate to report to the ministry and the ministry must take the matter to police, †said Coltart.