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Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
MTSHABEZI High School in Gwanda District has reportedly introduced its own “toll gate” as parents are now required to pay $1 to pass through the school gate during visiting days.

Some unhappy parents told The Chronicle that the school introduced the system this year.

They said they were told by the school authorities that the money would be channelled towards the maintenance of the 14-km dust road that leads to the school from the Bulawayo-Gwanda highway.

The District Development Fund (DDF) is responsible for the maintenance of the road.

Parents whose children are boarders at the school, said the school unilaterally made the decision without consulting them. They said they were subjected to the “toll gate” each time they visited the school on parents’ days.

“We are always asked to pay $1 at the gate for us to enter the premises and see our children. The school set up a toll gate for us without even consulting anyone,” said a parent.

The parents described the school’s initiative as “daylight robbery”. They said they don’t understand why they have to pay for the maintenance of the road when the responsible authority, DDF, was there.

The parents, who requested not to be named to protect their children, said there was no transparency in the handling of the funds.

“The school started collecting a $1 from each parent during the visiting day of first term this year. We started doubting the whole thing because they would collect a $1 from each vehicle that wanted to pass through and then those who were unlucky were made to pay per head, which is when we saw that there was no format in place for the initiative.

“We feel the school is taking advantage of us and chances are high that the school authorities could be abusing the funds.

Again recently during the visiting day, the school is said to have collected some money from parents who were given some receipts.

“To some $1 might not be anything but we feel everything should be done in a transparent manner because enrolment at the school is nearly 1,000 pupils. We have never had a report concerning how much the school collected from the visiting days and how much was spent or remitted to the DDF.

“Why are we made to pay for the services provided by the DDF?” asked another parent.

While some parents are said to have been complying with the school “demands”, the initiative has received open resistance from others who visit their children without paying the “toll gate fee”.

“Some fear that if they don’t pay their children might be victimised but as for me and a few others we didn’t pay anything and no action was taken against us because there isn’t a proper reporting system for that whole thing. No one would know if I paid or didn’t,” said another parent.

The school’s acting headmaster, who only identified himself as Sibanda, could neither confirm nor deny the issue.

“I can’t comment because I’m not allowed to speak to the press,” he said.

The acting provincial education director, Reuben Mabhena said he was not aware of the matter.

The area councillor for Ward 5, Clr Adam Maedza Bhebhe said the school did not inform him about the $1 road levy. He, however, said the DDF had received fuel from the school for the grading of the busy road.

DDF provincial head, Douglas Dube said the school had “once” supplied them with fuel to do the grading of the road.

“I think it happened once when the school assisted with some fuel for us to do the grading of the road. We, however, do our routine maintenance of the road and sometimes with the help of the RDC (Rural District Council),” he said.