News / National
Milton headmaster, deputy face demotion
03 Apr 2016 at 12:20hrs | Views
EMBATTLED Milton High School head Mr William Ncube and his deputy Mrs Nosizi Muleya are set to be demoted and transferred after a disciplinary hearing instituted by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education recommended that the two leave the Bulawayo school.
The two were suspended in October last year after an audit exposed alleged financial rot at the school. They allegedly swindled the institution of more than $10 000 and routinely flouted sound governance procedures.
The two's disciplinary hearings were held on 18 January and they were suspended for three months which, however, expired by 25 January resulting in the duo returning to work.
However, in an interview on Friday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango confirmed that the recommendation was that the two be demoted and transferred from the school. She said they were working with the Civil Service Commission to implement the recommendations since the commission was the employer.
"That matter is one of my top most priorities currently. I can tell you that already there was a delegation from head office in the city to see to it that the recommendations are implemented. As you might know we are not the employer so what we have done is we have informed the Civil Service Commission and our hope is that by the time schools open for the second term, these two would have been transferred to their new bases.
"Further as a ministry we had our own structures to exhaust, which explains the period that the completion of the investigation and implementation of the verdict has taken," said Dr Utete-Masango.
She said on the ground they had tasked the Bulawayo provincial education director, Mr Dan Moyo to work with officials from CSC to implement the recommendations.
"We appeal to parents at the school and those affected to be patient but I should assure them that we are on top of the matter," she said.
Efforts to get a comment from Mr Moyo were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.
Last month it was reported that the embattled headmaster was now allegedly targeting the two teachers — Mr Thokozani Sigola and Mr Lovemore Mangwiro — who allegedly exposed his transgressions by compiling a dossier of the alleged offences which they submitted to the provincial education offices leading to a forensic audit which resulted in Mr Ncube's suspension.
It is alleged within a week of being back in office from suspension, Mr Ncube stripped the two of their positions as divisional heads for Forms Three and Upper Sixth respectively and also demoted Mr Sigola from being the Ndebele subject head of department.
According to a letter dated 23 October outlining the charges against Mr Ncube and signed by the district education officer, Mrs Jane Ndebele, the ministry charged him with misconduct.
Mr Ncube was accused of authorising the construction of a boom gate, guardroom and painting of a classroom at a total cost of $2 912 without holding finance committee meetings or following procurement procedures.
He was also alleged to have authorised the installation of blinds and curtains at the school hall at a total cost of $3 245 without following procurement procedures.
He was also accused of sending an unreasonable number of people, seven, to collect a kombi in Beitbridge thereby unnecessarily prejudicing the school of $310. The school head was also accused of receiving management incentives of $350 after incentives had been banned.
Mr Ncube was further alleged to have also asked for an interest free loan of $2 150 from the SDA account for a chess competition in Durban in November 2014 and re-imbursed the money in February this year although terms and conditions for the loan were not spelt out.
The charge sheet shows that Mr Ncube, on top of the loan, also asked for an additional $300 pocket money and $73 for health insurance from the same account to do Nash business which was an unfair charge to the school. Charges against his deputy Mrs Muleya were not clear but sources said she was suspended by Mr Ncube prior to receiving his own suspension letter from the ministry.
The two were suspended in October last year after an audit exposed alleged financial rot at the school. They allegedly swindled the institution of more than $10 000 and routinely flouted sound governance procedures.
The two's disciplinary hearings were held on 18 January and they were suspended for three months which, however, expired by 25 January resulting in the duo returning to work.
However, in an interview on Friday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango confirmed that the recommendation was that the two be demoted and transferred from the school. She said they were working with the Civil Service Commission to implement the recommendations since the commission was the employer.
"That matter is one of my top most priorities currently. I can tell you that already there was a delegation from head office in the city to see to it that the recommendations are implemented. As you might know we are not the employer so what we have done is we have informed the Civil Service Commission and our hope is that by the time schools open for the second term, these two would have been transferred to their new bases.
"Further as a ministry we had our own structures to exhaust, which explains the period that the completion of the investigation and implementation of the verdict has taken," said Dr Utete-Masango.
She said on the ground they had tasked the Bulawayo provincial education director, Mr Dan Moyo to work with officials from CSC to implement the recommendations.
"We appeal to parents at the school and those affected to be patient but I should assure them that we are on top of the matter," she said.
Last month it was reported that the embattled headmaster was now allegedly targeting the two teachers — Mr Thokozani Sigola and Mr Lovemore Mangwiro — who allegedly exposed his transgressions by compiling a dossier of the alleged offences which they submitted to the provincial education offices leading to a forensic audit which resulted in Mr Ncube's suspension.
It is alleged within a week of being back in office from suspension, Mr Ncube stripped the two of their positions as divisional heads for Forms Three and Upper Sixth respectively and also demoted Mr Sigola from being the Ndebele subject head of department.
According to a letter dated 23 October outlining the charges against Mr Ncube and signed by the district education officer, Mrs Jane Ndebele, the ministry charged him with misconduct.
Mr Ncube was accused of authorising the construction of a boom gate, guardroom and painting of a classroom at a total cost of $2 912 without holding finance committee meetings or following procurement procedures.
He was also alleged to have authorised the installation of blinds and curtains at the school hall at a total cost of $3 245 without following procurement procedures.
He was also accused of sending an unreasonable number of people, seven, to collect a kombi in Beitbridge thereby unnecessarily prejudicing the school of $310. The school head was also accused of receiving management incentives of $350 after incentives had been banned.
Mr Ncube was further alleged to have also asked for an interest free loan of $2 150 from the SDA account for a chess competition in Durban in November 2014 and re-imbursed the money in February this year although terms and conditions for the loan were not spelt out.
The charge sheet shows that Mr Ncube, on top of the loan, also asked for an additional $300 pocket money and $73 for health insurance from the same account to do Nash business which was an unfair charge to the school. Charges against his deputy Mrs Muleya were not clear but sources said she was suspended by Mr Ncube prior to receiving his own suspension letter from the ministry.
Source - sundaymail
