A DEPUTY school head who stole over US$3,000 after collecting examination fees from pupils has been jailed for five years.
Maxwell Ndlovu’s sentence will be cut to two years if he repays the stolen money to Sibambene Secondary School in full by August 28, a Lupane magistrate ruled on Wednesday.
Jailing Ndlovu, magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba said: “You not only stole money but you so nearly stole the education of the children who looked up to you. You did this out of greed not need.”
The court heard that 66 Ordinary Level candidates paid their November examination fees to Ndlovu, who was required to remit the money to the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC).
Between March 1 and May 10 this year, Ndlovu collected US$3,060, but he converted the money to personal use.
ZIMSEC officials were raised the alarm after Ndlovu forwarded the candidate names in June without proof of deposit for the exam fees.
District education officials in Lupane called in the CID whose investigations led to the deputy headmaster’s arrest.
He pleaded guilty to theft.
Meanwhile, Tendai Nzura, the school headmaster, told the court that the school authorities together with the school development committee had “run around and managed to raise the money and have since paid it to ZIMSEC.”
All the affected candidates will be allowed to sit their exams in November.