MORETA commends police quick action on thieving Matero teacher
By Thomas Ngala
THE Movement for Restoration of Education and Teachers’ Affairs in Zambia (MORETA) has commended the Zambia Police Service for exposing Reverend Elifas Banda, a guidance teacher at Matero Boys Secondary School who allegedly ran away with K713, 600 cash meant for the 2025 GCE examinations.
In a statement yesterday, MORETA executive director Samuel Mbumba said the incident is a wake-up call for the government to take action against corruption.
Dr Mbumba explained that according to the financial guidelines, it was prohibited for schools to keep cash other than petty cash which is also limited per month and should be withdrawn from the bank.
“… as all monies be it one Kwacha requires to be deposited at the bank. Therefore, all the money’s were supposed to be deposited directly to the school account. Keeping cash in school was evidence enough of wanting to share or bleeding of financial crimes. Why is the guidance office keeping money instead of the accounts office? Signs of weak internal controls. The school management should be held accountable for this corrupt activity,” he said. “The New Dawn administration has pledged to combat corruption, and this case is a test of their commitment. We urge the government to investigate and bring to justice all those involved in corrupt activities, regardless of their position or status.”
He said corruption is a pervasive problem in Zambia, and it requires a concerted effort to eradicate.
Dr Mumba called on the government to take heed of the calls from the people and to take action against those who are frustrating development efforts.
“As a surveillance organization, MORETA Zambia has been monitoring corruption in the education sector and has severally sent warnings to the authorities, which warnings have often been ignored. We will continue to fight against corruption until every leader who has looted national resources is held accountable,” he said.
