Chimbota CDO threatens legal action against MoE

Chombota Community Development Organisation has threatened to obtain an injunction stopping Ministry of Education from claiming the ownership of Chimbota Community Day Secondary School formerly Chimbota Private School in Nkhatabay.

Chimbota CDO Co-Director, Kevin Troughton disclosed the development on Saturday during a press briefing held in Blantyre.

He said ‘peaceful’ discussion between Chimbota and Ministry of Education over the ownership issue has ‘failed’ hence seeking the legal remedy.

Troughton insisted that the Chimbota CDSS belongs to Chombota Community Development Organisation not Ministry of Education or Malawi Government.

“Chimbota CDSS belongs to us, we allowed the Ministry to come in because of circumstances to bring the boarding school,” said Troughton, adding that MoE has no legal mandate over the school.

“At first the discussions seemed to go well. Ministry officials repeatedly promised that Chimbota could become a CDSS, and that all our current students would have a place in the new school in October 2022.

“Nothing was signed or agreed in writing, but the Ministry continued to make these verbal promises, including at a formal, minuted Chimbota Board meeting and at an official inspection visit by Inspectors from Mzuzu. On the basis of these promises, we closed the existing school and made the teachers redundant.”

“Shortly before schools were due to open in October, the Ministry informed us by text message that Chimbota could not become a CDSS, but that the Ministry had decided that it would become a District Boarding School for girls.

“They also announced that our current students could not go to this school, but that the Ministry would offer them places in Government Schools across the District. When we received this message, there were only 2 weeks remaining until schools opened for the New Year in October…”

According to Troughton, the Chimbota CDO was left with no other option but to allow the Ministry to temporarily bring their boarding school.

In an interview with Zodiak Online, Ministry of education spokesperson, Mphatso Nkuonera said the ministry was aware of the matter but declined to share more details.

Chimbota CDO, a non-profit organization operating in the country, exists to bring development to the area of Sub Traditional Authority (STA) Mundola to the south of Nkhata Bay boma.