Teachers Fight Roman Catholic Church

Teachers Fight Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church's Masvingo Diocese has been ordered by a Gutu civil court to stop harassment and transfer of two teachers from Mukaro Girls High boarding school accused of influencing over 700 female pupils to march for over 10 kilometres in protest over poor learning conditions at the school last year.

Two teachers at the Roman Catholic Church-run school Martin Matenhere and Musana Chirikure (ages not given) brought the Roman Catholic's Masvingo Diocese, the church's education secretary Father Samson Mutsvanga and the Education, Sport, Arts and Culture ministry to court seeking an interdict barring the respondents from harassing them.

The two teachers also applied at the Gutu Civil Court to stop the respondents from pushing for their transfer from the school over their alleged role in the strike by female students.

Gutu provincial magistrate last Thursday ordered the Roman Catholic Church and other respondents to stop harassing the pair and also pushing for their illegal transfer from the boarding school over the issue.

The two, represented by Mr Charles Ndlovu of Ndlovu and Hwacha legal practitioners had in their submissions told the court that they were being unfairly harassed by the school authorities and Roman Catholic officials over suspicion that they were the brains behind the strike.

The two teachers denied the charges saying efforts by the school authorities and the Roman Catholic Church in collusion with the Ministry of Education to transfer them from the school were illegal.

Over 700 pupils at the girls-only boarding school in Gutu last year slipped out of their hostels at dusk and walked for over 10 kilometres to the district education offices at Mpandawana Growth Point.

The pupils were were clad in their sports uniforms.

They included all classes from form one to six and marched in protest over poor learning conditions at the school.

They complained of poor diet, lack of clean water and said toilets had become filthy.