However,
beneath its storied walls, a dark secret festered – one that would shatter the
lives of many.
Anywhere Gumbo,
the deputy headmaster, was once regarded as a charismatic figure in the
community. With his warm smile and open-door policy, he seemed to embody the
spirit of mentorship. Parents trusted him, believing he had their children’s
best interests at heart.
Yet, as the
saying goes, appearances can be deceiving.
For some time
now, Gumbo had allegedly exploited his position, luring over 35 boys into his
office under the guise of offering academic help. The boys, eager to please and
afraid of disappointing an authority figure, found themselves trapped in a
nightmare.
The breaking
point came when an anonymous letter reached the Ministry of Education,
detailing the horrific abuse allegations.
The letter,
penned by a fellow teacher who suspected something was amiss, ignited a chain
reaction. Investigators descended upon the school, only to find that Gumbo had
vanished into thin air, leaving behind a trail of anguish.
Midlands
provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, said Gumbo remains
at large.
Sources say
Gumbo would lure pupils to his office to sexually abuse them.
“The police and
officials from the Ministry of Education have been on the ground after they
received an anonymous letter from one of the teachers over the issue,” said a
source.
“The school
head has a very tight policy which requires pupils to talk to him if they want
to report anything, and this has seen the majority of the pupils being
sodomised in silence,” said a parent whose child is among the victims.
Some parents
and teachers accuse the head, Mr Albion Masukume, of trying to suppress the
scandal.
Mr Masukume
confirmed the probe in a letter to parents but denied involvement.
“I write with
sorrow to inform you that allegations of child abuse by one of our staff
members were reported.
“Currently,
thorough investigations by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and
the police are underway,” he said in the letter.
Masase High is
run by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Zimbabwe (ELCZ). Herald
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