When parents and guardians at Mafakela Primary School protested a compulsory US$25 bus levy, they unknowingly uncovered the tip of a corruption iceberg. The school had proposed that failure to pay the levy would result in pupils being barred from writing examinations in July, but this only served to further infuriate the parents and guardians. As tensions rose, the parents’ resolve to dig deeper into what was going on only strengthened and now they have uncovered the scandal, which involves Vordim Trading, a Bulawayo-based company accused of bribing school officials, manipulating tender systems and inflating bus prices by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
These inflated prices reportedly fund kickbacks to school officials, including School Development Committees (SDCs), while parents and guardians bear the cost through levies to cover bank interest when schools take out loans. At the centre of the alleged scheme is Vordim Trading co-director Kenias Papiro, a former Officer-in-Charge at Mzilikazi Police Station. Whistleblowers and sleuths claim he has leveraged his influence and networks since leaving the service to establish a lucrative stranglehold on the education sector.
This has prompted calls from activists for urgent investigations into how Vordim’s operations have left schools saddled with bank loans and parents burdened with repayments. Investigations confirm the loans are a major concern, with school bursars reporting that institutions are struggling to service the hefty interest rates. One school reportedly pays as much as US$30 000 a term, forcing it to rely heavily on fees from parents or to drain other accounts to cover the costs.
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This prompted the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to intervene, with its Director of Communications and Advocacy, Taungana Ndoro reinforcing that no child must be excluded from school for non-payment of fees. Ndoro cited Section 75 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution, which guarantees every child the right to education, the Education Act (Chapter 25:04), and Ministry circulars such as Secretary’s Minute Number 2 of 2024.
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