An
official
from
the
Ministry
told
the Masvingo
Mirror that
the
entire
education
supervisory
system
has
effectively
ground
to
a
halt
because
of
the
funding
crisis.
The
official
was
quoted
as
saying:
“There
is
not
a
cent
to
run
district
and
provincial
education
offices.
There
is
no
stationery,
no
toners,
no
fuel,
no
water,
no
electricity,
not
even
toilet
paper;
schools
inspectors
are
just
sitting
in
their
offices,
they
cannot
go
into
the
field.”
Dozens
of
workers
under
the
Better
Schools
Programme
Zimbabwe
(BSPZ)
have
reportedly
gone
without
pay
since
October
2025
after
the
Ministry
of
Finance,
Economic
Development
and
Investment
Promotion
froze
BSPZ
bank
accounts
over
alleged
widespread
abuse
of
funds
by
provincial
and
district
education
officers.
According
to
the
Masvingo
Mirror,
most
of
the
Ministry’s
administrative
functions
are
now
being
sustained
through
payments
made
by
parents
under
the
BSPZ
scheme.
The
funding
shortages
have
reportedly
taken
a
toll
on
operations.
Some
Ministry
employees
are
said
to
have
stopped
reporting
for
duty
after
electricity
and
water
supplies
were
cut
off
at
several
district
and
provincial
education
offices
due
to
unpaid
bills.
Even
when
officers
do
come
to
work,
little
gets
done
as
official
vehicles
are
grounded
because
there
is
no
fuel.
Reports
claim
that
school
inspectors,
who
usually
number
around
ten
per
district,
have
not
been
able
to
carry
out
field
visits
since
last
year.
On
top
of
that,
their
Travel
and
Subsistence
allowances
are
said
to
be
in
arrears
dating
back
about
four
years.
In
Masvingo,
the
District
Schools
Inspector,
Ishmael
Chigaba,
reportedly
approached
the
National
Association
of
Primary
School
Heads
(NAPH)
and
the
National
Association
of
Secondary
School
Heads
(NASH)
for
help
in
settling
water
and
electricity
bills.
Chigaba
confirmed
the
situation
in
an
interview
with
the
Masvingo
Mirror,
but
declined
to
reveal
who
eventually
paid
the
bills.
He
referred
further
questions
to
the
Provincial
Education
Director,
Shylatte
Mhike.
However,
Ministry
of
Primary
and
Secondary
Education
spokesperson,
Taungana
Ndoro,
said
operations
were
continuing
smoothly
and
that
funds
were
being
distributed
to
district
and
provincial
offices
through
Treasury.
Officials
at
several
offices
contacted
by
the
Masvingo
Mirror
disputed
this,
insisting
that
they
have
not
received
any
Treasury
disbursements
for
more
than
four
years.
Post
published
in:
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