HEADS are finally rolling at Hartzell High School following the suspension and transfer-listing of two senior officials as part of recommendations made by an investigative audit conducted by the parent ministry at the institution.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has
suspended Hartzell High headmaster, Mr Shorwi Kawadza and his deputy, Mr Godwin
Mupuro, pending their transfers.
Two senior teachers – Mrs EZ Mufori and Mr Sande – are
holding fort as acting headmaster and acting deputy headmaster respectively, pending
the posting of substantive administrators at the end of this month.
An official hand-over-take-over which marked the end of the
Kawadza era was done on Monday in the presence of the new School Development
Committee (SDC) that was elected into office last week on Saturday.
Manicaland Provincial Education Director (PED), Mr Edward
Shumba confirmed the latest development when contacted for comment on
Wednesday.
“I have checked and was told that the headmaster is
currently on (forced) leave and there is somebody acting in his absence. The
school opened well without the headmaster and from the brief I got from the
District Schools Inspector (DSI) in Mutasa, everything is in order.
“However, we are still working on the audit report
findings. I haven’t received a full dossier as yet, as I have just assumed
office. I am waiting for the then acting PED, who is currently out on official
business, to brief me and chart the way forward,” said Mr Shumba.
Mr Kawadza’s exit coincided with the dethronement of the Mr
Patrick Sangandira-led SDC that allegedly aided in the looting of school
resources over the last two years.
The latest administrative changes come at a time when
Hartzell High has been plunged into darkness after its electricity was
disconnected as it had allegedly bridged one of its main metres illegally.
The new SDC, led by one Mrs Gwanyangwanya, was on Tuesday
making frantic efforts to engage the power utility to get the school switched
back on.
The Manica Post understands that Metre Number 368839 was
undercharged by $1 347 310 for the period spanning from January 2020 to June
2022.
An investigation on June 30 found that the metre was
partially by-passed, resulting in free electricity (30 000kw) being supplied to
the school without being billed.
The school was fined an administrative charge of US$600.
The new SDC cleared the $1,3m debt and the US$600 fine on
Wednesday.
Three investigative audits conducted by external auditors,
the ministry and the insitution’s responsible authority – the United Methodist
Church – exposed massive looting of financial and material resources at the
school.
Feeling short-changed, parents then petitioned the
Education Ministry.
The audits also showed that foreign currency transactions
were unaccounted for, while voluminous expenditures had no supporting
documents.
Bank reconciliations were also absent, while weak internal
controls and risk management arrangements were exposed.
Under Mr Kawadza’s rein, payments were made without source
documents, hence there was no evidence to suggest that such payments were
genuine.
Employees’ salaries were also paid without attaching salary
schedules, thereby raising the risk of paying ghost employees.
According to the audit report, Mr Kawadza, through his
Mutrue Company, received from the school payments amounting to more than $2
million for firewood.
Mr Kawadza had not declared his interest in the
transaction.
The company’s registered directors are – Shorwi Kawadza,
Janepher Kawadza and Mutsa Chanyoka, all of the same Hobhouse 2, Mutare
address.
The school paid Mutrue Investments $238 541 in 2020 and $1
978 110 in 2021 for various items, mainly firewood, but there were no invoices
to prove that the items purchased were indeed received by the school.
The auditors noted significant governance issues in respect
of procurement procedures and weak internal controls.
The majority of the purchases had no quotations, invoices,
goods received notes and supporting documentation, making it difficult to
determine whether the purchased goods were received by the school. Manica Post
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