District and provincial education offices are reportedly shutting down across Zimbabwe. Many offices lack basic supplies, including toilet paper, due to severe funding shortages.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education faces a growing financial crisis. As a result, operations at many offices have slowed dramatically.
An official from the Ministry spoke to the Masvingo Mirror. The official said the education supervisory system has nearly collapsed.
“There is not a cent to run district and provincial education offices. There is no stationery, no toners, no fuel, no water, no electricity, not even toilet paper; schools inspectors are just sitting in their offices, they cannot go into the field.”
BSPZ Workers Unpaid as Accounts Frozen
Meanwhile, dozens of Better Schools Programme Zimbabwe (BSPZ) workers remain unpaid. They have not received salaries since October 2025. The Ministry of Finance reportedly froze BSPZ bank accounts. Authorities suspect widespread abuse of funds by provincial and district officers.
According to the Masvingo Mirror, parents now support many administrative functions. They make payments through the BSPZ scheme to keep operations running.
However, the crisis continues to disrupt daily work. Several offices lost electricity and water due to unpaid bills. Consequently, some employees stopped reporting for duty.
Even when staff report for work, little happens. Official vehicles remain grounded because there is no fuel.
School inspectors cannot conduct field visits. Each district usually has about ten inspectors. However, many have not visited schools since last year.
In addition, travel and subsistence allowances remain unpaid for nearly four years.
Officials Dispute Funding Claims
In Masvingo, District Schools Inspector Ishmael Chigaba sought financial assistance. He approached the National Association of Primary School Heads and Secondary School Heads. The request aimed to settle unpaid electricity and water bills.
Chigaba confirmed the situation during an interview with the Masvingo Mirror. However, he refused to reveal who paid the outstanding bills. Instead, he referred further questions to Provincial Education Director Shylatte Mhike.
Meanwhile, Ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro denied the crisis. He said operations continue smoothly across the country. He also stated that Treasury distributes funds to provincial and district offices.
However, several officials disputed this claim. They insisted their offices have not received Treasury funds for more than four years.
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The post Ministry of Education Offices Shutting Down Amid Funding Crisis appeared first on iHarare News.
