The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has launched an investigation into Alexandra Park Primary School in Harare following allegations of nepotism, abuse of office, and financial mismanagement involving the deputy headmistress, Mai Kundishora, and the complicit headmaster, Mr. Kwari.
Kundishora, is being been accused of making irregular staff appointments of two general hand staff members, Ella Samanga and Nyembesi Matsengauswa, who were initially hired as general hands but were irregularly promoted to higher-paying positions reserved for boarding schools, despite Alexandra Park Primary being a day school.
Samanga and Matsengauswa, have been wrongful employment since 2018 and 2009, respectively, and their contracts remain irregular, and their promotion to positions of Housekeeper and Assistant Housekeeper.
The controversy deepens with the revelation that Alexandra Primary School, a day school with no boarding facilities, inexplicably employs Samanga and Matsengauswa, positions of Housekeeper and Assistant Housekeeper, roles exclusively designated for government boarding schools.
Despite this incongruity, Samanga and Matsengauswa not only retain these redundant positions but have become the highest-paid support staff at the institution, outpacing the salaries of the bus driver and caretaker.
The irregularities surfaced after the chairperson of the School Development Committee (SDC) flagged discrepancies in the duo’s employment documents according to inside sources.
According to an inside source who preferred anonymity, the SDC chairperson refused to endorse Samanga and Matsengauswa’s purported promotions, recognizing that the documents were not formal contracts but offer letters misleadingly framed as contracts to legitimize their elevated roles.
“The SDC chairperson refused to endorseSamanga and Matsengauswa’s purported promotions to Housekeeper and Assistant Housekeeper after discovering the documents were not valid contracts, but offer letters masquerading as contracts to legitimize the duo’s new roles.
“As it stands, no valid contracts exist to justify their lucrative positions as Housekeeper and Assistant Housekeeper,” the source emphasized.
Further compounding suspicions, the roles in question—intended in boarding schools to prioritize student welfare, are allegedly being misapplied at Alexandra Primary. Instead of serving learners, Samanga and Matsengauswa’s primary duty revolves around catering exclusively to teachers, a deviation from prescribed norms.
Amid the fallout, staff members have voiced frustration over systemic mismanagement of resources at the school, accusing leadership of prioritizing questionable appointments over institutional integrity.
Inside sources have also raised concerns over spiking school budgets with the schools’ while essential extracurricular activities, including rugby, cricket, tennis, and soccer, struggle for funding.
“This school is suffering because of corruption,” the anonymous teacher continued.
“The money is there, but it’s being misused while our students miss out on important sporting activities,” lamented another source.
With the matter now under ZACC’s spotlight, both Kundishora and Kwari were recently summoned by the anti-graft commission for questioning.
The outcome of the investigation could have serious consequences for the school’s administration.
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