Disgruntled parents say they are mobilizing Zimbabweans to stop a move by the government to take over school development funds.
They say it is unacceptable for the government to ask parents-teachers associations to hand over all their money to the state.
One of the parents Hopewell Gumbo told VOA Studio 7 they fear that their funds will be misappropriated.
Gumbo said the government’s move is puzzling at a time when some state officials have been reportedly embezzling school fees.
“Some districts have been ordered to make sure that their accounts which ordinarily been run by school development committees should now be in the school services fund which is run by the school head, the deputy and teacher in charge. These are under the direct control of the ministry (of education,” said Gumbo.
He noted that the funds may be misappropriated by state officials.
“It is being done without any explanation. Most of the parents are not comfortable with parting with their hard-earned cash, their tuition fees and their levies to that account because ordinarily they do not have control over it and they are suspicious why this move now for the money to be transferred to those accounts.”
He said they do not want to see a situation in which their funds will be abused.
Zimbabwe’s school development committees collect millions of dollars per year that directly benefits local schools.
