Sue Zanu-PF over schools meetings, rallies, says Coltart

FORMER Education minister David Coltart has urged opposition parties to drag Zanu-PF to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) to seek a ruling ordering the ruling party to stop holding its meetings and rallies at schools.

However, Coltart conceded that it was difficult to stop Zanu-PF from holding its meetings and rallies at schools, owing to the lack of an enabling Act.

"There is nothing opposition parties can do to stop Zanu-PF from using school facilities and abusing children in this way," he said.

"There is nothing in the Education Act, which bars schools being used in this way."

In spite of the lack of an enabling Act, Coltart said he was convinced that a ConCourt challenge would stop Zanu-PF from holding meetings at schools.

"When I barred all schools from being used for political meetings, that was merely a policy directive, not something made into law," he said.

"Although Section 19(2)(c) of the Constitution compels the State to adopt policies that protect children from 'any form of abuse', it is difficult to enforce this provision.

"However, there is no doubt in my mind that the ruining party [Zanu-PF] is in violation of this section of the Constitution and a more robust Constitutional Court would rule against Zanu-PF and in favour of children."

Of late, President Robert Mugabe has been holding provincial youth rallies, amid claims that the ruling party commandeers school children to attend, disrupting their learning in the process.

On Friday, the 93-year-old Zanu-PF leader is scheduled to address a similar campaign rally in Lupane, amid fears that all pupils from the province would be forced to attend the meeting.