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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT schools owe the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in excess of $19 million in unpaid rates and council has resorted to water disconnections in an attempt to recover the money owed.

Council minutes which were released earlier this month show that 27 schools are owing the local authority.

Following water disconnections, schools paid just $2 million of the total debt.

Some schools now rely on borehole water following BCC’s water disconnections.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been blamed for worsening the schools’ financial positions.

Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said the Covid-19 pandemic which has seen schools being closed for a prolonged period has affected the smooth running of learning institutions.

He said most schools have no ways of generating revenues except from fees payment.

“When schools are closed, they incur costs yet they will not be generating any revenues. Some schools need to pay salaries for the support staff not employed by Government. These people are employed by the school development committee (SDC) meaning they are employed by the school so when schools are not generating any revenue that also impacts on their ability to carry their bill,” he said.

Deputy Minister Moyo said the pandemic also impacted on the parents’ ability to pay school fees.

He said for the education sector to function smoothly, parents and guardians need to do more to support schools.

“We believe that some parents and guardians’ commitment to payment of school fees is questionable. We call on parents to take ownership of the schools. These schools are theirs and they should ensure that they successfully operate even when schools are closed,” he said.

Deputy Minister Moyo said schools should also venture into commercial activities as it is not sustainable to depend on revenues obtained through payment of fees.

“There are schools that are making money here in Bulawayo from income-generating projects. So, we call on schools to be involved in commercial activities so that they do not entirely depend on taxing parents,” said Deputy Minister Moyo. — -@nqotshili