Byo Parents Protest Over Levy Hike

Tensions briefly flared at Mahlathini Primary School in Cowdray Park on Tuesday after parents and guardians protested against what they described as an unexplained increase in school levies.

The parents questioned why the Bulawayo City Council-run school had increased the levies without adequately notifying them.

The situation briefly became tense, prompting municipal police officers to be deployed to the school.

Parents later continued making payments while two municipal police officers were seen patrolling the school’s administration block.

The protests came as Grade Seven pupils were sitting for examinations at the school.

One parent said some families had received letters showing outstanding balances despite having no arrears.

“The school sent letters stating that we owed varying amounts in school levies although we didn’t owe outstanding monies. The manner in which the school levies were reviewed upwards without notifying us was not done the right way,” said the parent.

Another parent said families had agreed to pay the revised amounts but wanted an explanation from school authorities.

“We have resolved to pay the monies but we will be demanding a meeting with the school head and the School Development Committee,” he said.

The dispute centres on both the size of the levy increase and the manner in which parents were informed about the changes.

Mahlathini Primary is one of Bulawayo’s largest schools. In 2023, the school had an enrolment of about 2,844 pupils and 96 teachers, placing it among Zimbabwe’s so-called mega schools.

The issue of school fees and levies has previously attracted government scrutiny, with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education warning schools against unapproved fee increases.

Under the regulations, proposed increases are expected to be presented to parents at a special meeting before being submitted to the ministry for approval.

The Education Act also provides that pupils in public schools should not be excluded from learning because of failure to pay fees.

For Mahlathini parents, however, the immediate demand is for clarity on how the new charges were arrived at and why some accounts reportedly reflected balances they dispute.

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