Several
parents
expressed
their
distress
and
frustration
to
CITE,
describing
the
headmistress’s
actions
as
intimidation.
“Is
it
allowed
for
a
headmistress
to
threaten
us
like
this?
She’s
saying
if
we
don’t
pay
the
fees
by
next
Monday,
our
children
won’t
be
allowed
to
write
exams,”
said
one
parent.
In
a
message
shared
with
the
parents
via
a
WhatsApp
group,
Headmistress
Uyapo
Ndebele
expressed
disappointment
over
unpaid
fees,
urging
parents
to
settle
their
dues,
including
a
borehole
levy.
“Good
afternoon.
REMINDER
!!
REMINDER!!
May
I
remind
you
once
again
to
pay
your
arrears
and
third-term
fees
+
borehole
levy
before
the
start
of
the
end-of-year
examinations.
The
exams
start
from
18
November
to
29
November.
You
have
been
given
enough
time
to
pay.
Only
those
fully
paid
will
write
the
exams.
Lets
pay
fees
for
the
the
children
so
that
they
dont
blame
us
tomorrow,
“Asibhadaleni
ifees
badala
abantwana
babhale
imihloliso,bengakhali
ngani
kusasa.”
Honour
your
responsibilities
as
a
parent,
ngumlandu
wakho
ukufundisa
umtwana,”
said
the
Headmistress.
The
message
concluded,
“No
fees,
no
writing
of
exams.
Those
under
BEAM
must
pay
the
borehole
levy
of
US$10
before
18
November.
Fundisa
umtanakho
and
be
responsible
for
their
education.
DISAPPOINTED
Headmistress
U.
Ndebele.”
Efforts
to
contact
the
headmistress
for
comment
were
unsuccessful,
as
her
phone
remained
unreachable,
and
she
did
not
respond
to
WhatsApp
messages.
Commenting
on
the
situation,
the
Director
of
Communications
and
Advocacy
in
the
Ministry
of
Primary
and
Secondary
Education,
Taungana
Ndoro,
reaffirmed
the
Ministry’s
stance,
which
strictly
opposes
barring
students
from
exams
over
unpaid
fees,
a
practice
deemed
a
violation
of
national
education
policies.