MBABANE – I blew it!
Cash-strapped St Mark’s Primary School could make good content for television programme, I Blew It, a popular Mzansi Magic reality show, as the school blew over E1 million in 60 days. Events unfolded at a parents meeting held at the school premises on Wednesday June 7, 2023, where a financial report was presented. The report reflects that a total of 125 transactions were made in a total of 60 days between December 2022 and April 2023, which was the period reported by the school Head teacher Bhekile Mabuza and the committee. The transactions, which were of different amounts and spread across the period of the report, added up to a total of E1 032 023.
Spent
The school received most of its income between the month of December 2022 and February 2023, and the report indicated that E1 032 023 had been spent by April 20, 2023, while schools opened in January 29, 2023. A new committee was elected into office by the parents in the beginning of March 2023 and on the 20th day of the same month; the account was handed over to them with a balance of E225 309.82. The new committee questioned some of the transactions and further suspended some tenders that were awarded by the school, including a E165 000 worth contract to renovate toilets.
At the beginning of December 2022, the school had a balance brought forward of E287 778.40 and parents had contributed E558 184.25 when the schools opened for 2023. A government grant of E319 020 was also deposited into the school’s bank account before the first day. Other income received included a debt recovered from Cornerstone Pharmacy of E500 and rentals of E12 200 completed a total of E1 177 682.65 received by the end of February 2023.
Report
The financial report further showed that in the month of April, the school had used E1 032 023.92 of the total income, leaving it with E145 658.73 balance. It transpired during the parents meeting on Wednesday June 7, 2023 that the school had less than E50 000 left in its bank account after paying for other expenses. Chairperson of the school committee, Lucky Nkambule told the parents that the current bank balance was not enough to run the school anymore and soon they would fail to pay staff salaries for contracted employees.
“The school is now broke and needs money, hence we have come to make the presentation in this meeting,” said Nkambule. Maintenance and salaries accounted for the largest expenses of the school as they took E301 830.90 and E183 974.70 respectively. A water bill amounting to E116 114.33 was paid to Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC), while E35 000 was spent on electricity units.
Allowance
The school committee was also paid E21 350 as allowance, while E41 322 was spent on workshops and meetings. Presenting the report, school head teacher Mabuza, pleaded with the parents to pay-up their outstanding school fees to enable the school to run. While some of the parents questioned part of the expenses, including the E28 690.33 telephone bill, Mabuza attempted to provide answers which the parents felt were not satisfactory.
The new committee began its transactions on March 8, 2023 and made 17 transactions over a period of eight days until April 20, 2023.
