The ManicaPost
Luthando Mapepa
Chipinge Correspondent
THREE Chipinge residents who protested against the deployment of a new deputy headmaster at Madziva Primary School were each fined $20 000.
The trio — Danny Sigauke (35), Samuel Chaire (36) and Huggins Humure (40) — were dragged to court facing charges of disorderly conduct as defined in Section 41 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
They pleaded not guilty when they appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Mrs Elizabeth Hanzi, last week on Friday.
Prosecuting, Mr Thulani Zondwayo said sometime in January, Sigauke, Chaire and Humure went to Madziva Primary School on the school’s opening day and tried to stop the new deputy head, Mr Bothwell Maadza, from resuming his duties.
They accused him of being a murderer.
“The parents were accusing the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials at the district office of dumping Mr Maadza at their school despite his tainted reputation at his former school,” he said.
Mr Zondwayo said Mr Maadza, a former deputy head at Rutengeni Primary School, was transferred to Madziva Primary School in January.
“The trio were accusing Mr Maadza of causing the death of a pupil at Rutengeni Primary School in a suspected ritual murder case sometime last year.
“The parents reportedly staged a demonstration and ordered the closure of the school. They also barred learners from attending classes. The matter was reported to the police, thereby leading to the arrest of the trio,” said Mr Zondwayo.
Mrs Hanzi convicted the trio and ordered them to pay $20 000 by April 30 or risk being jailed for six months.
