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Kamangeni Phiri Features Editor
CHIEF Sibasa’s popularity ratings are sinking to microscopic levels ever since he assumed the unofficial duty of schools debt-collector two years ago.

He does not squirm while donning his “borrowed robes” as he subjects parents who fail to pay fees to all forms of punishment. Parents are also fined, sometimes ordered to surrender goats, at his court for defaulting on fees.

The traditional leader from Filabusi is a debt-collector for a number of local schools in Filabusi and surrounding areas.

Lazarus Dube, 75, of Ukuzwisisa Village says parents are being made to climb a hill and clear bushes on roadsides, as part of punishment. Some have to reconstruct a local dam near Chief’s Sibasa’s homestead at Sibasa Business Centre.

“Two of my grandchildren were dismissed last year at Tshazi Secondary School after their mothers failed to pay fees. The mothers of the two children are both my daughters. They were taken to Chief Sibasa’s court for defaulting on third term fees, last year. The chief forced my daughters together with other defaulting parents to climb to the summit of a hill near his homestead,” Dube said.

Chief Sibasa would ask the parents what they saw at the hill top and the parents would say nothing. The chief would then order them back to the hill top and would only let them free if they tell him that they have seen a trigonometrical beacon.

“They would then be taken to Silalatshani Irrigation scheme to clear bushes. This year, they were taken to Sibasa Dam to patch up the dam wall using sand,” he said.

Among the schools that hand over defaulting parents to the chief are Tshazi Primary, Tshazi Secondary, Filabusi B Primary, Amazon School, Msithi Primary and Singwango High.

Not all schools are under Chief Sibasa’s area of jurisdiction. Tshazi, for example, is under Chief Ndube, a woman.

Dube fails to understand how Chief Sibasa presides over certain cases from areas under other chiefs.

“The school is in Ward One under Chief Ndube yet Sibasa keeps persecuting us. He fines us for failing to pay fees and his security aide charges a certain fee for serving us summonses. The same parents are punished for failing to pay fees. My prayer is authorities intervene and save us from further abuse,” said Dube.

The sentiment among locals is that Chief Sibasa’s debt-collecting duties are taking precedence over his official role as their chief – dispute resolution and community welfare issues.

Parents allege Chief Sibasa at times demands livestock, especially goats, as fines for defaulting. The schools do not get the goats.

For two successive years Filabusi villagers have been battling the impact of drought, just like other rural people in the country.

Herod Nhliziyo, 52, of Mahole Business Centre, says it is difficult for most villagers to pay fees when families are starving.

Nhliziyo knows the pain of defaulting fees after he was forced to clear road bushes in 2014. He had failed to pay fees for his son, then a pupil at Tshazi Primary School.

“I was forced to climb a hill near the chief’s court. We were then made to clear bushes along the road. I then had to clear the outstanding fees at the chief’s court. I paid to the headmaster. What pained me is that I was made to work in Chief Sibasa’s area yet I’m from Chief Ndube’s area,” said Nhliziyo.

He, however, blames local headmasters and School Development Committee chairpersons for the “double punishment”.

“The chief has no problem. Chief Sibasa only listens to cases presented to him. It’s the people whom we elected to represent us at school, the SDCs, who’re to blame. The headmasters are also to blame for delegating their administrative duties to a chief. There’s drought. It’s difficult to send a hungry child to school. Naturally, I’ve to feed the kid first before I worry about fees,” said Nhliziyo.

Mark Dube, 75, an assessor at Chief Sibasa’s court, says the traditional leader is not at fault in handling cases from other areas.

He says even some of the contested areas were under Chief Sibasa’s jurisdiction as his land was vast.

“Some areas in resettlement areas don’t have substantive chiefs. In the case of schools in Chief Ndube’s area, it’s the government that appointed Chief Sibasa to preside over all cases after Chief Ndube abused her office at one time,” the assessor said.

“We don’t influence teachers or anyone to bring cases to our court. We’re guided by the letters of demand from schools. We don’t grab cases. It’s government policy that schools shouldn’t harass kids over fees payment. They should take the parents to the chief.”

He said some of the defaulting pupils were now parents who’re now failing to pay fees for their children.

Mark Dube admitted to punishing defaulting parents but denied demanding fines from them. He described the money paid to Chief Sibasa’s messenger as “transport allowance”.

“Parents pay $5 to the police officer for his service of serving them with the summonses. At the chief’s court, parents make payment plans. They tell the chief when they would pay the balance. Those who fail to pay are punished so that they see how serious the process is. We make them work but we don’t make the poor sell their goats or any other livestock to settle fees arrears. We never fine defaulters goats. Everything paid by the parents at the chief’s court goes towards fees. We only handle registers and receipt books. The school headmasters handle the money themselves. We’ve dealt with many schools here and in Fort Rixon, mostly resettlement areas,” he said.

Tshazi Secondary School headmaster, a G.V. Dube, refused to shed light on the matter citing protocol.

Chief Sibasa denied ordering defaulting parents to pay a fine.

“It’s schools that charge parents interest. On punishment, we do that because some villagers are too poor to pay fees. It’s difficult to make some people pay when they’re old or poor. We just make them work for the community and help engage the school on their behalf. No child is barred from school. All kids are in school now. I don’t solicit for cases. SDCs are the ones who decide to bring the fees cases to my court,” he said.

But Chief Ndube is not amused by her counterpart’s “transgressions”.

She emphasised the importance of working together in harmony as leaders although she remained sceptic on the methods employed by Chief Sibasa to recover school monies.

Chief Ndube said paying fees was important.

“We need to work together as chiefs. There are indeed some people complaining over my counterpart’s handling of the fees issue. They complain that they’re being made to work in an area outside their jurisdiction. My counterpart is wrong on that,” Chief Ndube complained.

“A chief should first ask an individual where he’s from before handling a case. If the person is from outside his or her area, the chief should refer the person back to the rightful traditional leader. We differ how we rule our subjects. The $5 charged by the chief’s police officer when summoning defaulting parents can help clear or reduce fees arrears. Some parents owe as little as $15 or $20 but because of the drought situation, they struggle to pay such amounts. It’s not fair to take money that should help parents settle fees arrears.”

Chief Ndube, who is female, said some chiefs have challenges in executing their duties due to lack of training.

“There are traditional leaders who have no clue as to how to preside over cases. They lack training. Some of us were trained soon after our appointment. Training teaches you how to handle such issues,” she added.

The government, while enforcing its policy that children must not be barred from school, advised school authorities to approach the courts without delay to claim outstanding fees owed to them by parents and guardians ahead of the start of this term.

Primary and Secondary School Minister, Lazarus Dokora, said in early January schools should seek legal recourse against parents who defaulted in paying levies and tuition fees since third term last year.

He said most parents were “hiding” behind the government directive that no pupil should be sent away for non-payment of school fees.

“We expect to see school authorities busy compiling lists of defaulting parents and amounts owed and have recourse at the traditional and community courts, the magistrates courts and the small claims courts,” he said.

“Levies should be paid and government simply protects the child that he or she shouldn’t be expelled because the contract to pay fees is between the parents and the school. While no child shall be expelled for non-payment of fees, it doesn’t mean that parents should relax and find comfort in that. They should honour their obligations.”

He said school fees for this year at government institutions including independent colleges remained frozen while voluntary levies or other unauthorised charges would not be tolerated.