St Faith’s saga reaches crescendo
. . . students demonstrate against Anglican Diocese
Samuel Kadungure and Lovemore Kadzura HUNDREDS of learners from St Faith’s High School on Wednesday demonstrated against their school’s responsible authority, the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland, as they accused it of imposing an unapproved mission fund of US$600, dissolving the School Development Committee (SDC) and harassing the school head for refusing to enforce the collection of the fund.
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