CDSS suspends classes over damaged classrooms
By Yohane Symon:
Machinga District Council Officials have come under fire from traditional leaders and some community members for their failure to renovate two classroom blocks at Malundani Community Day Secondary School in Machinga, where strong winds damaged some properties on December 5.
Among other things, iron sheets were blown off, culminating in the suspension of form one, two and three classes.
Malundani Community Day Secondary School Head teacher, Arthur Tembo, said, following the incident, space for learning has become limited.
“When iron sheets were blown off on December 5 last year, in the course of administering end-of-term examinations, we suspended classes from form one through to three such that, to date, those in these classes are not learning,” Tembo said.
A member of the school committee, Austin Mnunga, said council officials have not been helping them on the issue.
“Council officials told us that there is no money for renovations,” Mnunga said.
Community members say about K4.5 million is required to renovate the school.
Machinga District Commissioner, Bester Mandere, said there are no funds for renovations.
He said Machinga District council has two development funds of District Development Fund (DDF) and Constituency Development Fund (CDF). CDF is controlled by legislators while DDF is managed by councilors.
“So when we were told about this problem, we informed the full council for them to decide in terms of which fund to use to renovate the school. But it seems both the councilors and the member of Parliament did not prioritise renovation of school because the money which was available was used to implement another project,” he said.
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