St Faith’s saga reaches crescendo

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 have taken note of a viral social media clip on alleged St Faith’s High School students and 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

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.

Yesterday (Thursday), the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education met the stakeholders and announced that normalcy had returned to the school with teaching and learning continuing as usual.

The announcement was made after the ministry met with members of the Responsible Authority, the and ministry officials from head office, province and district offices in Harare.

The statement reads: “The ministry today (yesterday) met with members of the responsible authority, the School Development Committee and Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials. During the meeting, all sticking issues were resolved amicably.

“The meeting agreed that normalcy returns to the school and that learners continue to learn in a safe and healthy environment.

‘‘It was also agreed that they continue working in a harmonious and cordial manner to enable the provision of a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning.

‘‘The parties also accepted that they play different key complimentary roles and agreed that if there any differences they must be resolved through amicable engagement processes.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education continues to strive to provide access to quality, relevant, inclusive, equitable and wholesome education for all Zimbabweans and will continue to provide capacity development for both parties in terms of school governance issues in the Education Regulations.”

Earlier on, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson, Mr Taungana Ndoro had 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 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.

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.

Before yesterday’s meeting, the school’s led by Dr Lovemore Chipunza, had been dissolved by the church, but were reinstated following the engagement with the Education Ministry.

The Education Act stipulates that only an approved by the Minister has control of a school’s financial affairs and only the Minister can cause its dissolution.

Dr Chipunza refused to comment on the earlier 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 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 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.