The incident,
which took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2025, has sparked widespread anger among
parents, guardians and community members, who are demanding accountability from
both the school and law enforcement, as they are calling for an investigation
with potential legal consequences.
According to
multiple eyewitness accounts, parents and officials interviewed by CITE, the
learners were subjected to unlawful corporal punishment at the hands of the
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in full view of school staff and without
parental consent or prior notification.
The learners
were assaulted for alleged misbehaviour that included “dating, engaging in
sexual intercourse, touching each other’s buttocks, stealing packed lunch,
bullying, failing to deliver floor polish and civvies money meant for school
use.”
Some of the
children were later taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
The Ministry of
Primary and Secondary Education has confirmed a joint investigation by the
Provincial Education Directorate and the ZRP, claiming it will train schools on
lawful alternatives for behaviour management.
According to
our investigations, school authorities at Mahetshe invited police as part of a
crime awareness initiative, however, locals say what ensued was far from
educational.
Community
members had gathered just outside Mahetshe Primary for a water committee
meeting with their village head, Shakespeare Ndlovu, when a police Mahindra
vehicle drove past and entered the school grounds.
Within minutes,
distressing cries were heard coming from inside the school.
“We heard
slaps, beating and cries of children. As parents, we decided to go inside the
school to check. The children were crying a lot,” said Ward 20 Councillor
Sanelisiwe Mhlophe, who was present at the water committee meeting and also has
a child in ECD B at the school.
“We saw three
police officers. One, a female police officer (Madlabuzela) who works at
Maphisa Police Station. The second (Ndlovu) was in plain clothes. I don’t know
the name of the other police officer but these two were Shona.”
Mhlophe said
the police did not alert the parents or the community about their purpose,
despite passing by their stakeholders’ meeting taking place just outside the
school.
“One man,
Dingindlela Ncube, ran ahead and stopped a police officer who was beating a
child mercilessly. Parents questioned why this was happening and why no prior
communication had been made if this was a campaign as they had passed us by the
gate yet said nothing.”
The councillor
and other witnesses described children being struck with large canes, lifted by
the ears and slapped by the police. CITE
0 comments:
Post a Comment