Learners at Chibwe Primary School in Kasungu on Tuesday vandalised household property belonging to the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Chairperson, Limbani Chipala, whom they accused of misappropriating money meant for printing examination papers.

According to the school’s Deputy Headteacher, Rabson Makwakwa, the chaos began after one of the teachers reportedly informed the pupils that they would sit for Board examinations instead of printed papers, despite having already paid printing fees.

Makwakwa said the information angered the learners, who suspected that the PTA Chairperson, the custodian of the exam fees, had embezzled the funds.

“Out of the blue, I heard that learners had marched to Mr. Chipala’s house to confront him, but upon failing to find him, they resorted to vandalizing his household property,” he said.

Makwakwa described the incident as very unfortunate, adding that the PTA Committee will soon meet to map the way forward and find means of helping the chairperson recover his losses.

Meanwhile, PTA Chairperson Limbani Chipala expressed disappointment, stating that misinformation from some teachers misled the pupils and triggered the misconduct.

“They could have verified with me first. The truth is that the papers are still being processed for typing and printing. The delays were due to electricity blackouts, but by Friday everything will be completed,” Chipala said.

Property destroyed during the incident includes three solar panels, kitchen utensils, an inverter, farming tools and a solar battery. The total cost of the damage is yet to be established.

The Chibwe incident is the third case of school vandalism in Kasungu in the same week. On Monday, students at Chulu Community Day Secondary School vandalised school property, including the headteacher’s office, after the institution failed to organise a sports trip.

A day later, learners at Chayamba Secondary School also vandalised school property following what authorities described as misunderstandings related to teasing and bullying among students.