Over 600 learners nicodemously left their dormitories at
around 3am and walked for about 17km to the Makoni District Schools Inspector’s
offices in Rusape.
The learners accused the church of prioritising money over
their academic well-being and welfare.
The Manica Post crew caught up with the protesting learners
at Umthombo Farm along the Rusape-Nyanga Road as they chanted songs and
denounced Bishop Eric Ruwona and Reverend Taurai Mavhezha for ‘destroying the
school’.
They waved placards inscribed: “The church is abusing us”,
We are crying for justice”, “His Excellency, the President of the Republic of
Zimbabwe, we need your attention”, “Church is now a hostile environment”,
“Justice for Mr Makamba, restore his dignity”, among others.
The school’s head, Mr Arnold Makamba, and the police caught
up with the learners around 7am at the Grace Fellowship Church, which is a
stone’s throw away from the District Schools Inspector’s offices and tried to
negotiate with them to return to the school.
The learners, all dressed in their sports attire, refused
to budge, and instead sat on the tarmac, blocking the busy Rusape-Nyanga
Highway.
Senior police officers took turns to address and advise the
learners that their demonstration was not sanctioned, but they refused to
budge, insisting that their intention was to present their grievances to the
District Schools Inspector.
As tempers flared, a police officer set a dog on four
learners, but still that didn’t dampen their resolve. They overpowered a
barricade formed by police officers and marched on to the District Schools
Inspector’s office where they were addressed by various Government officials.
Police have since issued a statement regarding the
incident, saying: “The ZRP have taken note of a viral social media clip on
alleged St Faith’s High School students and ZRP clashes and use of police dogs
during a purported pupils demonstration.
“Full details on the incident will be availed once the
Officer Commanding Police in Manicaland Province conducts a full inquiry and
brief the Commissioner-General on what transpired.”
The Manica Post understands that the four learners who were
bitten by a police dog were treated at Tariro Medical Centre and discharged on
Wednesday.
They were administered with anti-rabies jabs.
As part of their grievances, the St Faith’s High School
learners accused the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland of interfering in the
day-to-day running of the institution, including enrolment of learners,
collecting an unapproved mission fund, harassing the headmaster and dismissing
the SDC.
They also demanded the removal of Reverend Mavhezha who
last week sparked an uproar when a video clip of him attacking a person with a
disability went viral on social media.
“We are now overcrowded in the dormitories because the
diocese carried a parallel enrolment of learners. We are now crammed in common
rooms with some sleeping on the floor. Very soon there will be an outbreak of
diseases like cholera due to overcrowding,” said one learner on condition of
anonymity.
“The food quality and quantity has been reduced because
there are learners who paid their fees directly to the diocese and it was not
remitted to the school,” said the learner.
Another learner said effective teaching and learning has
been seriously compromised as the over enrolment has stretched the school’s
infrastructure, facilities and teachers to the limit.
“There is a shortage of teachers following the unplanned
increase in enrolment of Form One learners. We are now too many, yet no new
teachers were seconded to the school.
“Due to pressure of work, teachers are no longer doing
their usual best. We also need to know Government’s position on the mission
fund because it is straining out parents. Why is the bishop (Ruwona)
threatening the headmaster in newspapers? This kind of interference by the
bishop is putting our future in jeopardy,” charged the learner.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education
spokesperson, Mr Taungana Ndoro said the disturbances were unfortunate.
“Our worry is that learners are being deprived of quality
education and learning by the shenanigans from the responsible authority – the
church. It is our clarion call for all concerned to try and find an amicable
solution so that learners continue to receive quality education at the school.
“We will definitely engage the responsible authority to
ensure that effective learning and teaching at St Faith’s High School continues
without disruption. We have a very clear policy position on the mission fund.
“As Government, our position is that any fees or levies are
supposed to be approved by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Primary
and Secondary Education, and the mission fund has not received such an approval
from the ministry. It is very clear that what they are doing is illegal,” said
Mr Ndoro.
He added that a lot is happening behind the scenes to deal
with the highlighted issues.
“Definitely there will be some recourse, just allow us time
to find each other. As we speak, a lot is happening in closed door meetings to
resolve these matters,” he said.
When contacted to comment on the matter, the Anglican
Church Manicaland Diocese spokesperson and registrar, Mr Ashel Mutungura
refused to comment.
“Write that Mutungura said I have no comment to give you,”
he said.
As all this happens, the school’s SDC has been dissolved by
the church.
The Manica Post is in possession of a letter from the
Anglican Church Manicaland Diocese acting education secretary, Reverend Edmond
Zambe Samutereko dissolving the Dr Lovemore Chipunza-led SDC.
ln the letter, the SDC is accused of mobilising villagers
to interfere with school operations, leading to the ugly clashes reported last
week.
The SDC is also accused of refusing to submit to the church
and unilaterally increasing school fees and levies.
“You have no right or control of tuition fees and boarding
fees, but you continue to abuse that position and you have created a tortoise
relationship between the Parents Assembly and the responsible authority (the
church) for your selfish reasons.
“We, in terms of Section 36 of the Education Act (Chapter
25:04), dissolve your committee . . . By copy of this letter, the Board of
Governors shall oversee the running of the school until an election is held.
Your removal is with immediate effect,” reads part of the letter.
This development threw the school’s operations into
disarray as the governors have no access to the school’s bank account, whose
authorised signatories are the head, deputy head, SDC chairperson and
vice-chairman.
The Education Act stipulates that only an SDC approved by
the Minister has control of the financial affairs of the school and only the
Minister can cause its dissolution.
Dr Chipunza refused to comment on the dissolution of his
committee, but in a letter to St Faith’s High School parents, he said their
fall-out was due to the mission fund.
“We have fallen out of favour with the responsible
authority because we are objective, we question any anomalies, we are
professional and ethical in our conduct. Above all, we do not follow the crowd.
“The real bone of contention is our impartial position on
the issue of mission fund which they are failing to collect at St Faith’s High
School. In addition, the failed privatisation of St Faith’s High School did not
go down well with them, given that the greatest resistance was at St Faith’s
High School,” he said.
Dr Chipunza said on January 30, 2024, the responsible
authority, the SDC and school administration were summoned by the Manicaland
Provincial Education Director, Mr Edward Shumba, and were instructed not to
collect the mission fund or risk being charged.
“The SDC was also advised to collect and mention approved
fees only. It is very unfortunate that in all this, it is our children, the
learners, who are suffering,” he said. Manica Post
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