The ManicaPost
Luthando Mapepa Chipinge Correspondent
STUDENTS at Checheche Secondary School braved this week’s rainy weather to stage a demonstration demanding the disbandment of the School Development Committee.
The toy toying students, who started their industrial action on Monday, raised a litany of allegations chief among them the underdevelopment of the school by the school authorities.
They threatened to boycott lessons until their demands were met by the school authorities.
They have not been attending lessons since Monday after locking the gate at the school and threatened to attack anyone who tried to interfere with disturb their action.
Police were at some point called in but could not control do anything about the situation since the students were demonstrating peacefully without destroying any property or harming anyone.
A concerned parent who identified himself as Simon Simango said tensions started last Wednesday when Checheche High School hosted the Chipinge district’s athletics competitions.
One of their biggest issues was that the school does not have a bus despite being one of the biggest schools in the district.
“The situation at Checheche High School is tense since beginning of this week. Students are refusing to attend lessons until their plight is attended to. They are demanding that the old SDC got a new term under unclear circumstances. The students are accusing the SDC of not doing enough to develop the school.
“Students teamed up on Monday to ask why the school was in that condition since everyone pays school fees in time with Mr Zinyani the SDC chair turning away anyone found with arrears,” he said.
Another parent who declined to be named said the situation was further worsened by the fact that the old SDC somehow got their way into office recently when expectations were high for the election of a new committee,” he said.
Efforts to get comment from SDC chairperson, Mr Zinyani hit a snag as he was not reachable.
Chipinge District schools inspector, Mr Richard Gabaza said he had dispatched education inspectors to investigate the issue.
“Yes we have heard about the demonstration and right now I cannot shed more light since my team is still on the ground for fact finding. I’m still waiting for reports from my team that went there today (yesterday) so you can call me tomorrow for finer details,” said Mr Gabaza.
