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A former acting headmistress at Kirkman Primary School in Harare yesterday appeared in court for allegedly stealing school funds amounting to $5 241. Elizabeth Mavhiza (47), who was the school’s senior teacher, was the acting head at the time she allegedly committed the offence.

She allegedly ordered parents to pay their children’s school fees into her personal bank and Ecocash accounts. Mavhiza appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Tilda Mazhande on fraud charges. She was granted $100 bail and was remanded to April 19.

The prosecutor Ms Linda Gadzikwa alleged that during the period extending from January 2017 to January 2018, Mavhiza was employed at Kirkman as the teacher-in-charge and acting headmistress.

Sometime last year, she allegedly ordered that some of the parents deposit their children’s school fees and other levy payments into her personal CBZ and Ecocash accounts. Some parents allegedly deposited fees into the accounts and were not issued any receipts.

This continued until one of the parents who had allegedly paid $70 into Mavhiza’s Ecocash for her son’s levy was contacted by the school reminding her that the levy was still outstanding. The parent informed the school authorities that she had paid the money to Mavhiza, but was not given a receipt.

The school authorities checked all their financial records and discovered that Mavhiza had stolen the money, the court heard.

A report was made to the police, leading to her arrest. — Herald Reporter.