THE Bulawayo City Council audit committee has exonerated Mawaba Primary School head Maureen Dlamini on allegations of embezzling funds and abuse of authority.
NQOBILE BHEBHE CHIEF REPORTER
In 2013, parents petitioned the Education ministry to investigate the alleged misappropriation of funds after accusing Dlamini of inflating the school budget.
Disgruntled parents said they were never informed about the bank account and sales from the tuckshop for 2013 stood at $4 378 and there was no profit.
They alleged the school levy was raised without consultation.
Parents also claimed that pupils were being sexually abused resulting in one learner being impregnated and another being sodomised, but authorities concealed the cases.
Council was forced to carry out investigations into the claims.
“Minutes of the PTA (Parents Teachers’ Association) annual general meeting held on 22 July 2013 indicate that the standing committee was dissolved and elections conducted where new committee members were chosen with some of the old members re-elected. The allegations against the headmistress are therefore unfounded,” the council report read.
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Council said the tuckshop purchases were thoroughly vouched by audit against sales for the year and a profit of $1 345, 05 was realised between January and December 2013.
“Minutes of the PTA annual general meeting indicate a proposal raised by the school authorities to raise the levy from $18 as it was no longer enough to cover other expenses,” the council report reads.
“The meeting agreed that it be increased by $7 to $25.
“This was approved by the Ministry of Education on 2 September 2013. The allegation that parents were not consulted is therefore unfounded.
“After having considered all the facts and details of the above matter where material allegations against the school were found to be unfounded, audits conclusion is that the complainant, who is an ex-SDA (School Development Authority) executive secretary could have had personal misunderstanding with the headmistress on the running of the school affairs during his tenure or could have been bitter about his being voted out at an SDA general meeting held on 22 July 2013 and was therefore trying to solve matters through the press.
“It is therefore from this viewpoint that audit concludes that the matter be closed.”
