Dokora faces contempt of Parly

PRIMARY and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora faces contempt of parliament charges for allegedly misrepresenting to the Senate issues to do with his directive for schools to transfer all monies into the Schools Services Fund (SSF).

Last month, senators stopped debating the issue after Dr Dokora told them that a law is required to ensure the transfer of the funds.

He said so far no proposed legislation was on the table, hence he did not have legal powers to do so.  The Minister was speaking on a motion on the need to align the Education Act to the Constitution.

The motion emanated from a directive for schools to close all School Development Committee (SDC) accounts and remain with the SSF accounts. The Minister is also alleged to have held a meeting with some schools to communicate the transfer of the funds to the SSF account.

Senators used the debate to criticise the Minister's plans, arguing that the planned replacement of SDC accounts with the SSF will leave parents at the mercy of school authorities and affect the quality of education, but Dr Dokora pacified them saying he did not have powers to do so.

On Wednesday, Bulawayo Metropolitan Senator Dorothy Khumalo (MDC) moved a motion to have Dr Dokora charged with contempt of parliament saying there was sufficient evidence that he lied to the Senate as schools were still depositing money into the account he allegedly said was not in existence.

She said Dr Dokora had presented false information with the intention of misleading parliament.

The senator said in stopping the debate as recorded in the Hansard, the Minister said: "As it stands debating as it is put here is really debating on a matter that has originated in the social media which has no legal force and is really wasting Hon. Senators time".

She said the Minister unduly influenced members from debating the motion through the misrepresentation.

"When Honourable Senator Makone courteously asked for an assurance that no SDC funds have been transferred, Honourable Dr Dokora responded by saying 'we must debate the issue first. I have no legal instrument to transfer the money', suggesting that there were no SDC funds that had been transferred to SSF," said Senator Khumalo.

"Madam President, there is sufficient evidence which proves that Government schools in Harare were given the directive to transfer the funds and indeed transferred SDC funds to the SSF account by the 31st March 2017. All levies for term 2 were channeled to SSF account and not SDC account as per current law. Schools have notices at their offices advising of these changes."

She tabled a list of schools which had deposited money into SSF accounts.

Senator Khumalo said SDCs at the respective schools were ready to testify before the Senate that indeed they transferred SDC funds to SSF accounts as per the Ministry's directive.

"Further to that Madam President, the SDCs in Harare and Chitungwiza are also ready to testify that indeed they met and discussed with the Minister and his Permanent Secretary together with their line management early in 2016 at Queen Elizabeth School in regard to the directive of transferring SDC funds to SSF," said Senator Khumalo.

"The effects of Dr. Dokora's conduct in Parliament have the potential to impair and undermine the role and authority of Parliament in the discharge of its constitutional mandate.

"In view of the foregoing, it is my view that there is possible contravention of the provisions of the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act (PIPPA), Chapter 2:08 and that the following offences of the Schedule (Appendix C) of the Privileges and Immunities and Powers Act were violated by Dr. Dokora."