Parents at Sizalendaba Secondary School in Bulawayo’s Ward 17 have raised concerns over transparency and delays in the purchase of a school bus they say they have been contributing towards for the past four years.
Community members say they have consistently paid levies for the bus project, but remain without clear updates on how the funds have been used or when the vehicle will be procured.
Mazwi Village head Zwenyika Murapamoyo said while there had been progress on other school infrastructure projects, including teachers’ cottages, the bus issue remained unresolved and poorly explained.
“After the council meeting we saw some progress. There was one cottage and another which was not done. We put council to task and they called their workforce… There was another cottage whose foundation was not dug, and I was asked to mobilise people to dig it,” he said.
But he said the same urgency had not been applied to the bus project.
“There is a lot that we don’t understand. We have been contributing money for the bus for the past four years, but we keep being told the funds are still not enough,” he said.
Murapamoyo said each new learner is required to pay US$40 towards the bus fund, raising further questions among parents about accountability and financial management.
“It seems council or the bursar is doing some dealings. There are also School Development Committee projects that are being hijacked without involving us,” he said.
He added that attempts to get clarity had only produced temporary responses.
“They only act when we put pressure, then after two weeks or a month everything goes silent again,” he said.
St Peter’s resident leader Reginald Mkhosana said frustrations had been building for years.
“It’s even more than four years. Parents have been paying, but the bus has not been bought. They keep evading the issue. There is no concrete information,” he said.
Ward 17 councillor Sikhululeki Moyo confirmed that parents had been contributing US$40 per learner annually for the bus, estimating that about US$11,000 had been raised so far.
“On the bus issue, yes parents started paying four years ago. They have been paying US$40 per learner per year. Up to date, about US$11,000 has been collected, although some parents have not paid,” she said.
However, she said the dispute stems from a lack of detailed financial disclosure.
“What led people to speak out is that during the Annual General Meeting, the financial statement did not clearly show how much has been collected, how many parents have paid, and how many have not,” she said.
Parents say the absence of transparent records has deepened mistrust, with calls growing for a full audit and clear timeline on the procurement of the promised school bus.