Martin Muleya
It will no longer be business as usual at all council run schools dotted in Mutare City as the local authority moves in to restore sanity at the learning instituitions.
Acting Mutare Town Clerk, Blessing Chafesuka highlighted that over the years council has been establishing schools and handing them over to School Development Committees with minimum supervision of how they were being run by the heads.
Speaking on the sidelines of council schools sports tournament at Sakubva stadium last Friday, Chafesuka accused some of the heads of refusing to have their books audited.
“Over the years council had been constructing schools and handing them over to School Development Committees (SDCs) with no proper monitoring mechanisms in place. We have of late been receiving complaints over maladministrative practices.
“When we brought in our auditors there was fierce resistance from some of the heads and we thought this was becoming a big problem because they were behaving like they were the owners of the schools.
“We should be seen to be investing in the development of our schools. Our presence should not only be felt during construction of schools but also at every level of education system,” said Chafesuka.
He said council has already bought computers meant to digitize their operations.
The local authority has since recruited an education officer to assist in putting structures and systems in all the council run schools in the gateway city to the sea.
“We have started to be more involved in our schools. We are going to computerize their operations through the Local Authority Digital Systems (LADS) and we are in the process of recruiting accountants for all schools.
“Finances will be managed by full time council employees who are on the payroll of Council and who will report to Civic Centre and the school heads. We have created a new post of education officer who will put structures and systems on how we coordinate education services in the city,” added Chafesuka.
All the seven primary schools participated in soccer, netball, rugby, table tennis, and handball sports codes.
City of Mutare runs Chirowakamwe, Dangamvura, Murahwa, Chikanga, Fern Valley, Hobhouse and Gimboki primary schools.
