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| Teacher denied reimbursement |
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by
Mc Donald Chapalapata, 03 October 2003
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10:52:32
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Ombudsman Enock Chibwana has directed the Ministry of Education not to reimburse 16,000 rand to a Lilongwe teacher who was shot in the leg by armed robbers in an attempt to steal teachers’ salaries and received treatment in South Africa because the ministry did not sanction the trip.
Elias Chinoko, a former headmaster of Chigoneka Primary School in Lilongwe, was shot by robbers on July 31, 1998 but failed steal K223,000 meant for teachers salaries.
Chibwana heard in a public inquiry that Chinoko did not receive adequate treatment at Lilongwe Central Hospital (LCH) and was transferred to Dr. Kayambo’s Clinic but later referred back to LCH where he was put in a paying ward.
Chinoko’s friends solicited funds to enable him travel to South Africa for medical attention, the inquiry heard.
Chinoko was supposed to be attending physiotherapy at LCH and the ministry was supposed to provide him with transport but that never happened, forcing Chinoko hire a car at K500 per day for 68 days.
The ministry did not provide Chinoko with transport either after he was retired and in the end he hired a vehicle at K3,000 to transport him from Chigoneka to Chilinde.
In his determination of the matter, Chibwana said there is no evidence that the trip to South Africa was sanctioned by the Ministry of Education and therefore the ministry cannot be held responsible for the medical bills incurred in South Africa.
“However, I am of the view that Chinoko is entitled to the refund of the money he spent on hiring a vehicle to attend physiotherapy at LCH. His ministry was under obligation to provide him with transport after retirement,” said Chibwana.
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