Clerk Jailed for Stealing Over US$2,200 in School Fees at Detema Secondary
A 25-year-old clerk at Detema Secondary School in Dete, Hwange District, has been jailed for two years after she was found guilty of stealing more than US$2,200 in school fees.
Chiedza Chidaya was convicted of theft of trust property and fraud by Hwange provincial magistrate Rumbidzai Kabasa. The two charges were treated as one for sentencing.
She was initially handed a four-year sentence. One year was suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, while another year was suspended on condition that she reimburses the school US$2,207 by December 5.
Prosecutor Chido Tshuma told the court that between May 13 and November 21 last year, Chidaya received US$322 in school fees from learners but issued receipts from an old 2018 receipt book that had been discontinued. Instead of banking the money, she pocketed it.
The matter came to light after an internal audit covering January 2024 to July 2025 revealed discrepancies. Investigators found that Chidaya had been using the outdated receipt book and had not surrendered or accounted for the collected funds.
Further investigations showed that between November 2023 and August 2024, she manipulated carbon copies of receipts, recording smaller amounts than what she actually received. In one instance, she recorded US$556 when she had collected US$2,441, prejudicing the school of US$1,885.
In total, the school lost US$2,207.
Chidaya pleaded for leniency, but the court ruled that she had abused a position of trust and engaged in deliberate misconduct over an extended period.
