Sexual abuse of female teachers worries chiefs

TRADITIONAL leaders in Zaka have implored Government to beef up security for teachers at schools across the district in the wake of an increase in sexual abuse of female teachers.

Chiefs in the district have since called an emergency meeting to discuss the deteriorating security for female teachers after three suspects stormed Rumwanda Secondary School in Zaka and raped a female teacher before allegedly robbing her of cash. The suspects were armed with machetes, knives and catapults.

Chief Nhema of Zaka (Mr Ranganai Bwawanda) last week said traditional leaders in the district will soon convene a meeting together with police and villagers to strategise on how to stem the spike in sexual violence against female teachers.

He said there was need to deal with a surge in rape cases targeting teachers in Zaka before the situation spirals out of control.

“We are saddened by the incident, which occurred at Rumwanda Secondary School and as traditional leaders in the district we have decided to engage school authorities, the police and the local community to see how best security for teachers can be improved before the situation gets worse,” said Chief Nhema.

The Zaka chief said female teachers will shun schools in the district if measures were not put in place to contain rape cases.

He urged villagers to report the presence of strangers to police as part of efforts to curb crime.

“I urge villagers and even school pupils to report the presence of suspicious people. You will realise that some of these people would have come in the area without the knowledge of traditional leaders and will be harbouring sinister motives,” he said.

Chief Nhema appealed to Government to make sure police were fully-equipped to travel the length and breadth of remote rural areas for them to speedily access scenes of crime.

He said many robbers and other criminals were taking advantage of poor mobility for law enforcement agencies to terrorise communities in remote areas where people were at the mercy of rapists and other dangerous criminals.

Masvingo Provincial Education director Mr Zadius Chitiga last week said rape and robbery victims at Rumwanda Secondary would undergo counselling to help them cope with the traumatic experience at the hands of their assailants.