Antony Chawagarira
MASVINGO — Masvingo City Council has locked the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s provincial offices at Wigley House over an outstanding water bill of about US$13,000, bringing education administration in the province to a standstill.
The dramatic move comes after the Ministry’s provincial headquarters reportedly went for about six months without running water following a council disconnection in April over the unpaid bill.
Masvingo Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa confirmed that the offices had been closed, saying council would only reopen them after the Ministry made a part payment and submitted an acceptable plan to clear the outstanding debt.
«“We will only reopen the offices once they pay part of the debt and produce an acceptable payment plan for the remainder of the bill,” Mukaratirwa said.»
Acting Provincial Education Officer Petronella Nyangwe also confirmed the closure.
However, the development was disputed by Ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro, who said the offices had not been locked and that employees were away carrying out their normal duties, including school inspections and workshops.
Despite the denial, the main entrance to Wigley House was reportedly found padlocked, with workers subsequently leaving the premises.
The closure has raised concerns over the continuity of provincial and district education administration, particularly services requiring staff to operate from the provincial headquarters.
The water crisis had already created difficult working conditions for employees, who were reportedly forced to bring water in containers to the building for basic functions, including flushing toilets.
The latest confrontation comes days after the Government directed local authorities to take action against Government departments that fail to settle their bills.
Local Government and Public Works Permanent Secretary Tafadzwa Muguti recently told representatives of the country’s 92 local authorities that councils should disconnect water supplies to Government departments that fail to pay for services.
Muguti said councils could not be expected to deliver services and meet performance targets while Government departments continued accumulating unpaid bills.
The Masvingo dispute therefore puts into sharp focus the growing financial strain between local authorities and central Government departments, with councils insisting that unpaid accounts are undermining service delivery.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s provincial offices have previously faced financial challenges, with reports indicating that administrative operations had relied on alternative funding mechanisms after budgetary support became inadequate.
The immediate priority is now for the Ministry and council to agree on a payment arrangement that will allow the offices to reopen and normal administrative operations to resume.
The closure also comes against the background of previous financial disputes involving the Ministry’s occupation of Wigley House. In 2022, the High Court ordered the Ministry to pay millions of dollars in rental arrears and vacate the premises following a dispute with the property owner.
