School graft: More can be done

Although stakeholders in the education sector applauded the efforts being made to curb abuse of funds by school heads and bursars, calls have been made for Government to show a political will to curb broad corruption.

Some of stakeholders are urging the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to reconsider some of its policies with a view to tie the loose ends.

In 2015, Government commissioned an audit of schools following indications of fraud and abuse of funds. The audit report has since revealed that more than US$1,2 billion in development levies is circulating in Government and mission schools and a chunk of that money is being abused by heads and bursars.

The report revealed how some school authorities have been duplicating receipt books as cover to lay their hands on development funds. Some of the schools allegedly sunk boreholes and bought buses at inflated prices.

According to the report, a learning institution in Harare allegedly falsified its yearly wage bill and officials then pocketed the difference.

One of the schools allegedly falsely stated that it purchased a bus for $180 000 when the actual cost was no more than US$100 000. This was also despite a standing Government directive for all schools to buy buses from State Procurement Board- approved dealers.

Most culprits have been flouting tender regulations, inflating invoices and quotations, and under receipting and banking.

Maxwell Rafemoyo of the Zimbabwe Education Coalition said Government must first tackle corruption in all sectors of the economy.

"Corruption is the country's enemy number one. Zimbabweans must be seen frowning on corrupt tendencies. Corruption is endemic in all sectors of the economy and the education sector has not been spared," Mr Rafemoyo said.

Rafemoyo said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education re-look some of its policies.

"In my view, I think the ministry must introduce a clear policy and practice on how all schools should manage their accounts. Annual financial audits must be conducted," added Rafemoyo.

He called upon the ministry to introduce expenditure tracking systems and to train school development association members how to manage issues to do with financial management and school development.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora last week threatened to remove cash control from SDAs.

"We know for a fact that more than US$1,2 billion is collected through levies, and if only half of that was used to develop the schools we will be talking of something else.

"We have a backlog of 2 000 schools and are collecting a lot of money. How then do we explain the backlog in infrastructure development? Some schools are overstaffed and these employees earn far more than teachers and heads on civil service salaries. This has become a conduit for corruption.

"There is a disconnect between the levies collected and their use. Most of these schools' levy collection systems are robust, but when it comes to use, (it's a different story altogether). What the auditors observed was shocking. It's clear the situation cannot remain like that."

Dr Dokora wants schools to operate a single account which is managed under statutory provisions.

A look at the way schools manage their finances reveals that the system is easily prone to manipulation. For instance, the Schools Services Fund and General Purpose Funds accounts have the school head and the deputy as the only signatories.

This exposes the accounts to abuse since the two can connive and loot the funds.

The School Development Association levy account has both the school head and a member of the SDA as signatories. Again, this account can easily be abused.

William Mukuwapasi, an educationist, said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education must advocate for a Statutory Instrument that manages how school funds are managed.

"Each school must have a single account which is governed by statutory provisions. School heads must not be allowed to do as they please. Without such a provision, the abuse of funds will never be curbed," said Mr Mukuwapasi.

Zimbabwe Schools Development Associations secretary-general, Mr Everisto Jongwe, said SDAs were important to education.

"Parents are important stakeholders in the development of school and must, therefore, take a leading role in the development of schools. SDA members must be trained so that they will keep abreast of current trends in financial management and school development," Jongwe said.

SDAs are primarily responsible for school development and hiring additional staff were the need arises, and are funded from levies.

Although the Public Service Commission has started firing school heads linked to abuse of development levies, Rafemoyo said the punishment was not deterrent enough.

As of last week, 74 schools heads had appeared before provincial disciplinary panels.