100 parents face arrest over unpaid fees

Mutasa Primary School in Harare’s Highfield suburb is seeking a warrant for the arrest of the parents who defied a court order to settle the arrears.
The cumulative amount — totalling more than US$5 000 — covers school development levies and computer fees for all three terms of last year.
This development comes after Government directed schools not to send away pupils for non-payment but to instead seek legal recourse.

School Development Association chairman Mr Justice Chinhema said although some parents had settled their dues, many others were yet to follow suit.
He said school authorities were this week expected to compile a list of defaulters for submission to law enforcement agents.
“At least half the parents are yet to pay up the levies,” he said.
“The SDA is set to conduct its annual general meeting early February and logistics of who has and has not paid will be prepared.
“Afterwards, our committee will agree on how to handle those who still owe us. Since they have already breached the initial agreement, we will be left with no option but to seek a warrant of arrest from the courts so they pay up.”

Mr Chinhema said none of the concerned children had been turned away from classes because “the school believes children have the right to education”.
The matter is between the school and parents, he said. In court papers filed last December, the school claimed various amounts ranging from US$25 to US$100 from each of the parents.
The school development levy was set at US$25 per term and the once-off computer levy at US$8. Magistrate Mrs Barbara Chimboza, who presided over the case, initially requested that the parents be brought to court in batches of 10.

Of the first 20 parents who were asked to appear before her, only three turned up, with two of them settling the arrears.
Mrs Chimboza had then ordered the remaining 17 to pay the outstanding funds by December 31 last year, failure of which they would face contempt of court charges.

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