News / Local
No Political Rallies At Schools - Coltart
08 Dec 2010 at 20:09hrs | Views
Bulawayo- The Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture has banned all political parties in the country from using school premises for political rallies and meetings , ahead of the forthcoming elections.
Speaking about the state of education in Zimbabwe during a meeting jointly organized by Radio Dialogue and The Zimbabwe Independent in Bulawayo onWednesday , the Minister of Education , Sport , Arts and Culture, David Coltart said his ministry will no longer allow political parties to use school premises to hold meetings with political inclinations.
"We have banned political from using school premises for political parties. The ministry is going to enforce this ban in the run up to the forthcomingelections and any future elections," said Coltart. The minister stressed that schools are educational institutions which should be solely used for purposes of education.
Coltart said his ministry is greatly concerned about incidences of teachers who are being intimidated by political activists of certain political parties especially in the rural areas.
"The ministry recently intervened in a matter where some teachers in Chiweshe in Mashonaland central who had returned to their schools after fleeing the area during the run up the 2008 elections were being threatened with violence. We have a similar case in Rushinga where teachers are being intimidated.Ihave even told cabinet that this harassment of innocent teachers should stop, "said the minister.
Coltart said qualified teachers were the most people affected by political violence.
During the run up to March 2008 harmonized elections most schools in the rural areas were used by Zanu (PF) militias and war veterans as opposition torturebases. Some of the Zanu (PF) militia were camping at the schools, resulting in scores of teachers fleeing their areas in fear of violence.
Speaking about the state of education in Zimbabwe during a meeting jointly organized by Radio Dialogue and The Zimbabwe Independent in Bulawayo onWednesday , the Minister of Education , Sport , Arts and Culture, David Coltart said his ministry will no longer allow political parties to use school premises to hold meetings with political inclinations.
"We have banned political from using school premises for political parties. The ministry is going to enforce this ban in the run up to the forthcomingelections and any future elections," said Coltart. The minister stressed that schools are educational institutions which should be solely used for purposes of education.
Coltart said his ministry is greatly concerned about incidences of teachers who are being intimidated by political activists of certain political parties especially in the rural areas.
"The ministry recently intervened in a matter where some teachers in Chiweshe in Mashonaland central who had returned to their schools after fleeing the area during the run up the 2008 elections were being threatened with violence. We have a similar case in Rushinga where teachers are being intimidated.Ihave even told cabinet that this harassment of innocent teachers should stop, "said the minister.
Coltart said qualified teachers were the most people affected by political violence.
During the run up to March 2008 harmonized elections most schools in the rural areas were used by Zanu (PF) militias and war veterans as opposition torturebases. Some of the Zanu (PF) militia were camping at the schools, resulting in scores of teachers fleeing their areas in fear of violence.
Source - RadioVop
