However, the two believe they were being targeted for
allegedly mobilising the local community against the intended privatisation of
the school.
Messrs Anold Makamba and his deputy Irvine Mudangwe are
reportedly considering taking the legal route to stop their transfer from the
school.
The Manica Post can reveal that the diocese on October 28,
2021, petitioned Manicaland Provincial Education Director (PED), Mr Edward
Shumba to redeploy the two on allegations of abuse of office.
They allegedly withdrew various amounts from the school
account without supporting documents, double-dipping and concealing their
financial interest in the school.
The allegations stem from an internal audit instituted
between May 31 and June 5, 2021.
But the two administrators believe they were being
victimised for allegedly inciting the local community against the intended
privatisation of the school.
The diocese recently embarked on a chaotic consultative
meeting as the Madetere community, leadership, church members, teachers and
non-teaching staff vehemently opposed the move.
The meeting was highly charged and laced with character
assassination as well as finger-pointing.
“As the responsible authority running St Faith’s High, we
called for an internal audit to be undertaken from May 31 to June 5, 2021. The
audit report showed the following: various payments (totalling $35 964.73) were
made to him (Mr Makamba), and some of the payments had no supporting documents.
“In addition, on April 12 to 16, 2021, a payment was
inconsistently made to the headmaster, amounting to the sum of $12 660 through
Voucher Number 45/21/7. The payment was effected from the school’s account and
this was a clear case of double dipping. As a result, we are unable to continue
with Mr A Makamba as head of the school, and we request you to redeploy the
same forthwith to safeguard our institution,” reads part of the letter to Mr
Shumba written by the Diocesan secretary for education, Reverend Alex Chikomba.
“Mr Mudangwe is a major supplier, together with his family,
to the school, and this was not disclosed. Various payments were made to him
(totalling $25 813) . . . and some of the payments had no supporting documents.
This is a clear case of abuse of office, as the deputy head is the chairperson
of the procurement committee. As a result, we are unable to continue with Mr I
Mudangwe as deputy head of the school, and we request you to redeploy same
forthwith to safeguard our institution,” wrote Reverend Chikomba.
Though Mr Makamba refused to comment, Mr Mudangwe said the
diocese was targeting them for not supporting its privatisation agenda.
“On being a major supplier, the correct position is that
the school has been dealing with Savco, where people in the school supplied the
company their products. When Savco left in March, we continued supplying the
school, indexing the prices with those at Mbare.
“I am also a local guy, and my mother is a cattle breeder,
and she sold two beasts to the school, and the funds were paid through my bank
account since she does not have one in her name.
“If they no longer need a person at their school, that is
what they do, and one cannot fight them. The head was told that him and I have
to be redeployed because we do not support the privatisation of the school. The
head went to Mutare last week, and was told that the allegations were a
smock-screen, but the real issue was that we are perceived to have influenced
the community to resist the privatisation, and on Monday, the principal
repeated the same statement,” said Mr Mudangwe.
Anglican Diocese of Manicaland’s Registrar, Mr Ashel
Mutungura, said the heads and deputies at their schools serve at the pleasure
of the bishop who approves such appointments to the Ministry of Primary and
Secondary Education.
“When any head, deputy or teacher has issues inconsistent
with the values and objectives of the church, recommendations are made to his
or her employer to be transferred to any other school and not fired. The bishop
does not hold power or authority to fire heads and deputies. These are civil
servants whose disciplinary process is done at the pleasure of their employer.
There is no truth that the bishop has fired anyone.
“The issue at hand is the audit report and its outcome. The
church has recommended the enlisting of law enforcement agencies to deal with
the issues of abuse of office in its schools as there is zero tolerance to such
conduct by its trusted lieutenants.
“The other assumption or casting of aspersions on the Lord
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland must be dismissed with the
contempt it deserves. The head, his deputy and their families had become the
major suppliers of provisions at the school without declaring their interest,
and charging higher prices. The church will not fold its hands and allow such
things to happen. That is the reason recommendations of their redeployment by
their employer became necessary. The head has another issue of double dipping.
He was paid allowances and fuel by the church to attend a workshop, but
proceeded to claim the same from the school,” he said.
Mr Mutungura said Anglican schools were private entities
run with Government’s support through payment of teachers’ salaries.
He said they were merely changing the model of operation to
pay teachers at certain schools.
“All teachers not interested will be transferred to
Government schools. There is nothing that is changing. These schools remain
mission schools owned by the church and run in terms of the Education Act, and
various by-laws,” he said. Manica Post
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