MORE TROUBLE AT KAMUZU ACADEMY

• Headmaster Investigated for Assisting Fleeing Deputy Headmaster Accused of Homosexual Acts

• Parents frustrated by Board’s inaction 

BY PIJ REPORTER

Trouble continues to brew at the prestigious Kamuzu Academy after reports implicated the headmaster and school management in assisting deputy headmaster Andrew Hubbard to flee the country.

Hubbard was accused of homosexual acts with minors and junior staff, as exclusively reported by the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) last week.

Following our report, the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) instituted their own investigations at the institution last week.

“We are still investigating, and we have our own findings, which we cannot share right now because investigations are ongoing. We already met with the KA board and PTA [Parents Teachers Association] and we are now scheduled to meet some of the victims,” MHRC investigator Priscilla Thawe told PIJ.

Last week, the institution’s Hubbard went into hiding following severe allegations of homosexual acts. He flew out of the country on Friday. Claims from five individuals, including three minors, accuse Hubbard of enticing them into homosexual acts, casting a dark shadow over the highly-priced Kasungu institution.

At the heart of this storm lies Hubbard's alleged inappropriate involvement with junior staff members and minors within the KA community. Although no evidence directly links him to KA students, the possibility remains a subject of speculation and concern.

“We don't know yet but cannot rule it out,” an anonymous source at KA confided to PIJ.

The accusations are grave. Hubbard, who had been on the run since a hearing conducted two weeks ago, is alleged to have engaged in homosexual activities with three boys from Mtunthama Primary School, which neighbours the academy.

Additionally, two KA support staff members have come forward, claiming they were coerced into sexual acts under the promise of employment and promotions.

The KA Board of Directors’ Statement On The Issue

KA Board of Governors Explains its Position

Meanwhile, the institution’s board of governors on Thursday issued a statement seeking to clarify the issue around Hubbard’s dismissal.

According to the board statement, on 9th June 2024, the Kamuzu Academy’s Designated Safeguarding Lead informed the Headmaster of allegations that the Deputy Headmaster (Academic), Hubbard, was involved in sexual misconduct.

“On the same 9th June 2024, the Headmaster informed the Chairman of the Board of Governors. On the same 9th June 2024, the Headmaster suspended Mr Hubbard so that he should not enter the academy campus and should not meet any students. An investigation team was set up. The team included a member of the Board of Governors,” the board claims.

According to the statement, on 12 June, the investigations team met with Hubbard. The evidence gathered by the Investigations Team is that Hubbard was communicating through WhatsApp with a male minor who is not a student of Kamuzu Academy but lives near Kamuzu Academy. The content of the communication involved photographs of an explicit nature, and sexual messages. The minor said he was angry with the messages and he broke his phone. As such, the investigations team did not see any of the messages or the photographs. The minor said that there was no sexual contact between Hubbard and the minor.

“The investigations team also found out that Mr Hubbard was also sending sexual messages to an adult male who is not an employee of Kamuzu Academy. It appears Mr Hubbard promised the adult male an opportunity to work at the Kamuzu Academy. However, that adult male is not employed at the Kamuzu Academy. There was no sexual contact between Mr Hubbard and that adult male,” says the statement.

The investigations team, including the Member of the Board, who have all received training on safeguarding, interrogated Hubbard who denied having any sexual relations with any minor. “However, he admitted he had had sexual relations with other adult males. The sexual relations were consensual between adult males. Hubbard admitted that he knew that homosexuality is illegal in Malawi.”

After that, the investigation team prepared a report and presented it to the headmaster, who consulted the Board of Governors.

“On 19th June 2024, Mr Hubbard was given a Notice of Disciplinary Hearing and a Charge Sheet. The disciplinary hearing was set for Friday, 21st June 2024. On the same 19th June 2024 Mr Hubbard tendered his resignation.”

The board’s statement notes that the matter involves employment and the character of an individual, procedures and care had to be followed to ensure that Kamuzu Academy is not later taken to court for unfair dismissal or defamation.

The statement further notes that there is no evidence that any student of Kamuzu Academy was a victim of or involved with Hubbard’s sexual misconduct or any sexual misconduct with any teacher or employee of Kamuzu Academy.

Hubbard 

PTA Assures Parents

In an update to the parents on the PTA WhatsApp group, the association’s chairman, Wanangwa Mbereka, assured the parents that they are working in collaboration with Kasungu Police and the Malawi Human Rights Commission as they carry out their investigations into this matter.

“MHRC is looking into human rights violations, while the police will investigate the criminal elements of the matter and deal with the suspects accordingly. The investigations so far are not restricted to Mr. Hubbard. There is a second teacher who has been mentioned to have been molesting the same boy,” reads the update.

Board secretary, lawyer Pempho Likongwe said he was constrained to respond to our questions because the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) is investigating this matter. 

“It would not be proper for me to be talking to reporters about the same issue under investigations before MHRC has released its report. We cannot undermine MHRC which is created by the Constitution. Either wait for MHRC report or go and ask MHRC,” he said.

Hubbard leaving Kamuzu International Airport

The Heinous Crimes at Kamuzu Academy

A source who spoke on condition told PIJ that sodomy and gay activities perpetrated by white KA staff have been going on for a while and are the result of a feud over a minor whom they both sexually abused.

“At KA, there is a William Parker who teaches Greek and Latin at the school. Mr. Parker claims to have adopted a young boy, under 18 (name withheld), who eventually moved into his house. Parker abuses the boy by sexually molesting him. He has been having a sexual relationship with the young boy.

“Now, Hubbard, the Deputy Headmaster, has also started to defile and sodomize the young boy. He started sending nude pictures of himself to the boy, which led to the boy beginning to spend a lot of time at Hubbard's house.

“When Parker found out about this, he confiscated the boy's mobile phone and found nude pictures and sexually offensive content in the phone, which angered Parker. The boy admitted to having been sodomised and defiled by both white teachers,” the source said.

He added that Parker then confided in other white members, one of whom, called Miss McComb, escalated the issue to the headmaster, Lambert Knot, who tried to conceal the issue and cover Hubbard, but by this time it was all over.

“The deliberate delay by Knot angered one board member, Dr. Chirwa, who insisted on reporting the issue to the police and instituting disciplinary action against Hubbard. Knot then quietly and quickly conducted an under-the-floor hearing, advising and aiding his deputy to leave campus before the police were informed. Hubbard immediately ran away with the aid of his boss.

When Hubbard left, the headmaster then notified those who wanted information that Hubbard had left his employment. Hubbard has since run away, fearing arrest. Knot has since threatened all members of staff not to say anything to anyone, including parents of children who send their kids to KA.

Parker remains at the school as the headmaster keeps on concealing these heinous crimes amongst his fellow expatriates.” 

Over the past three weeks, Parker’s phones could not be reached to get his side of the story.

PIJ sent a reporter to Kamuzu Academy to try and confront Parker but we were denied access at the gate. Even when we explained the reason for our visit, the guards manning the main gate told our reporter that KA protocol demands that the person being visited must give consent for a visitor to get in. 

Kachikho: There was no complaint lodged even at KA

Police Say No Complaint Has Been Lodged

However, Kasungu Police claim they have not found compelling evidence to institute investigations.

Kasungu Police spokesman Joseph Kachikho told PIJ that after hearing the rumours, they followed up on the issue and found that there was no case reported.

“There was no complaint lodged even at KA, but they called him [Hubbard] after they also received rumours. The same way we did after we received this information, we followed up to know what's really on the ground,” he said.

But a source who is a teacher at the institution noted that there were discrepancies between the police report and the information that the school management claimed.

“What we have been told is that the police asked for a report, and KA did not comply. So, they came on Friday, and they were given a report that they found to be self-incriminating for KA. After talking to the management behind closed doors, they asked them to change the narrative from that Hubbard was dismissed to state that he resigned. Which is why the school management is sticking to the narrative that he resigned. But they forget that there was a disciplinary hearing chaired by board member Dr. Patrick Chirwa, which revealed everything that was supposed to be reported to the police,” he said.

KA headmaster Lambert Knott did not pick up our numerous calls.

PTA Takes Headmaster To Task

However, PIJ has possession of a note that PTA chairman Wanangwa Mbereka gave to parents and guardians, informing them that Hubbard had been dismissed after a hearing.

“The issue has very much to do with what is on social media.” Early this week, Mbereka sent an email to Knott informing him that the PTA would engage and join relevant authorities to robustly investigate this matter and reach a logical conclusion.

“We, as parents, are deeply concerned about this matter and many other issues now emerging, as well as the manner in which the matter has been administratively handled,” he wrote, adding that the PTA wants to establish if Knott handled the matter administratively well and that there was no shielding of anyone involved in the allegations.

The PTA also indicated that they want to find out if Knott took relevant steps to ensure that justice is done, that the victims will be treated fairly, and that other would-be offenders will take lessons that you do not tolerate such wrongful acts that endanger the lives of minors, and also that there is no breaking of the laws of Malawi.

The letter also indicated that the PTA wants to find out if Knott was on top of things to ensure that both students and parents remain confident that the Kamuzu Academy is a safe place for children to pursue their education free from predatory behaviour from those entrusted with the welfare of the same children and that he took relevant steps, including officially reporting to the Malawi Police, immediately after he was made aware of such allegations against Hubbard.

“We also want to know if all individuals suspected of being involved in homosexual activities at Kamuzu Academy will be fairly investigated, and should there be proof of a violation of the law, such individuals should be brought to justice,” the letter states. “We are interested in seeing justice done, and that confidence in you and the entire academy management is not lost.

“We do not wish anyone to be harmed by social media rumours, but everyone, including yourself, should be given an opportunity to be heard."

Parents Worried About Students’ Safety

A parent, whose child is a student at the academy, told PIJ that the parents have since asked the PTA to investigate Hubbard, Parker, and Knot through the police.

“We want the police to investigate the sodomy and defilement accusations against the two teachers, concealing a crime on the part of Knot, the headmaster. And it happens that William Parker was appointed as housemaster for Chilanga Hostel, which is a boys hostel at KA. As housemaster, he is responsible for looking after the welfare and behaviour of boys at the hostel. He has access to the boys 24 hours a day, checking on them during prep, lights out, etiquette, etc. He even has the right to go to the hostel even after midnight. Are our kids safe with this character?”