GOVERNMENT officials deployed to engage parents and guardians at Mpumelelo High School in Nkayi, Matabeleland North province, came face-to-face with unrelenting and angry villagers eager to be enlightened on reasons leading to the 6% pass rate recorded in last year’s examinations.
Matthew Mandinyenya and Fani Phiri descended on the school on Thursday last week following complaints raised by parents against the school head Vongai Masunda.
Masunda was accused of disrespecting the School Development Committee (SDC), traditional leaders and parents and pulling a tribal card when put in a corner.
Nkayi Community Parliament, which has members, who are directly affected by the challenges at the school, issued a communication through its speaker Nhlanhla Ncube regarding the meeting.
“We successfully attended the Mpumelelo High School meeting on March 13 at the school. We had thought and expected that it was a meeting to discuss the current issues at the school which border on the pathetic pass rate of 6,94% and the irreparably damaged relationship between the head and the greater community of the Mpumelelo catchment area,” Ncube said.
“Together with the parents, we were shocked to discover that the meeting had nothing to do with the issue yet parents had come solely for that. It was a real disappointment to the majority of people who attended the meeting.”
According to the statement, the parents objected to the agenda that did not discuss the pass rate and the strained relations between the head and the community.
“The agenda clearly stated that it was only an annual general meeting. That infuriated the parents whose understanding had been that they were coming to resolve the problem bedevilling the school,” Ncube said.
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“Speaker after speaker demanded change at Mpumelelo High School. Through the intervention of the district official, the parents were promised that a meeting to discuss the issues would be called. However, no date or time line was provided.”
The Parliament said the school head should be investigated.
“We heard parents strongly weigh in with their complaints about the administration of the school. They meticulously argued that the 6,94% pass rate is unacceptable considering that one of the feeder schools, Zenka Primary, ranks among the best in the district.
“They further posited that the sour relationship between the school head and the community must be attended to, as a matter of urgency. We are considering, as stakeholders, initiating a petition that may grant the wishes of the community to save their children’s education.
“We remain guided by the statutory instrument of 2000 which regulates public servants and the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No 20 of 2013.”
Parents and guardians have since 2022 been having strained relations with the school head, such disharmony is not conducive to their children’s education.
“Currently, Mpumelelo High School seems to lack that and parents strongly believe that the matter rests at the doorstep of the school head. We pray that officials and the school head are mindful of item (7) of the First Schedule (Acts of Misconduct) of the Public Service Regulations, 2000, which stipulates that ‘unbecoming or indecorous behaviour which is likely to bring the Public Service or any other party thereof into disrespect or disrepute’ is considered an act of misconduct,” Ncube said.
“In the same vein, section 19, clause 1 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe states that the State must adopt policies and measures to ensure that in matters relating to children, the best interest of the children concerned is paramount.
“Clause 2 (d) of the same Constitution expressly states that ‘the State must adopt reasonable policies and measures …to ensure that children have access to appropriate education and training’.”
The meeting ended with the election of an SDC in which parents retained most of the committee members except one who is a known loyalist of the school head.
The parents re-elected Doreen Sunduza as chairperson, Ferdinand Moyo (vice), Ian Ncube (secretary) and Nonhlanhla Moyo was retained as treasurer.
The school is located in ward 22, Nkayi South and has a catchment area of nine villages and five feeder primary schools — Mtshatshane, Katasa, Zenka, Mabayi and Mdlawuzweni.
