Highlands Primary School administration fingered in criminal abuse of office

  • Highlands Primary School admin in financial mismanagement scam
  • Evidence not  provided for some payments
  • SDC recommends extension of investigation

HIGHLANDS Primary School administration is under the spotlight following criminal abuse of office allegations involving financial mismanagement.

The allegations are contained in an audit report carried out during the period October 3 to November 14, 2019.

The report gleaned by Zim Morning Post allegedly unearthed discrepancies in the school’s books of accounts.

According to the audit report, there were no proper controls on purchases, usage and the use of personal vehicles.

It was also revealed in the audit report that the school had been running without the finance committee ever sitting to support authorisation and processing of some payments.

Payments, it emerged, were being done without informing the School Development Committee (SDC).

The school has a prepared fuel-card facility from Total Company.

The audit revealed that fuel was used on several occasions by staff members on “school business” when; however, no register was ever availed to support such claims, especially by private vehicles.

The implication of the report was that school fuel was being used for personal agendas.

The audit also revealed that some transactions were not being approved by the finance committee.

It was also noted that payment vouchers were only being signed by the Head of School, oneNcelan Mandeya or his deputy.

“When processing payments of transfers generated by the accounting assistant were being made, Mandeya or his deputy would authorise them online. There was no evidence of involvement by the SDC chairperson or his vice chairperson,” revealed the audit in Zim Morning Post’s possession.

According to the report, the findings revealed that there was misappropriation of funds in the school.

Besides rampant fuel abuse, the audit also unearthed that one J and P Security Company was operating from the school premises without a renewed contract: “Inspection of the contract signed on September 1, 2010 has since expired on December 31, 2017.”

The SDC called for an extension of the ongoing audit and a review of the administrative accounting system.