Chiputula Ward Councilor In Conflict With School Management

The Councilor for Chiputula Ward in Mzuzu City, Hewett Mkandawire is reportedly in conflict with the management and the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) of Chiputula Primary school.

The ward Councilor is said to be politicizing development activities meant to improve teaching and learning activities at the school which has an enrollment of close to 4000 pupils.

Our inquiries have revealed that the school management and the PTA agreed to close water passage (drain) which was being used by some thugs to enter and vandalize property at the school.

Since some residents use to dump waste into the water passage the closure led to the blockage hence caused flooding that led to the collapse of part of the schools brick wall and immerse of some houses built around the school.

Responding to the development, head teacher of the school, Ollens Msonda expressed disappointment with the behaviour of the Councilor whom he said has on several occasions engaged in verbal attack of teachers of Chiputula Primary school when speaking during funerals without taking into consideration the consequences and challenges the school is facing.

“It is sad that our leader (Ward Councilor) wants to gain popularity at the expense of castigating the school management without weighing the consequences that may follow, we are deployed here because it pleased the Ministry of Education to manage all the affairs of the school,” Msonda said.

However, the awardsHead Teacher could not divulge more information on the matter hence referring this reporter to the District Education Manager whose mobile phone could not be reached on several occasions we tried to contact him.

On his part Ward Councilor, Hiwette Mkandawire admitted being in conflict with the management of the school whom he reported to the police claiming that his pupils caused bleach of peace at his house.

“I reported the headmaster to police because he incited violence which led to the pupils to go on rampage vandalizing my property in the process,” Mkandawire said.

During the time police were interrogating the head teacher, irate pupils from Chiputula Primary school who were chanting freedom songs thronged the City Police Station where they demanded an immediate release of their lovely headmaster whose school managed to send 105 pupils to various secondary schools in last year’s Primary School Leaving Certificate Examinations.