Dream forces man to withdraw kids from school

An Epworth man who is a staunch follower of the Johanne Masowe yeChishanu apostolic sect allegedly withdrew his three children from school because of the dream he had while at home.

Isabel Chidewe revealed this at the Harare Civil Courts where she was applying for custody of her late sister's children aged 14, nine and five from Bernard Mahuda.

"He married my sister and they were blessed with three children before she died in 2011. I stayed with the children since 2011 at my home in Mutoko after we agreed on that.

"I enrolled the two older children at a school in Mutoko before Mahuda requested them for holidays to which I agreed. He took the oldest child with him for secondary education until this year when my brother told me they had stopped going to school," said Chidewe.

She further told the court that she later visited the children who narrated to her that they had stopped attending school and health facilities in the event of illnesses.

"He sold their clothes after declaring they were unclean and that they were members of the Johanne Masowe yeChishanu church. He said the children attend church on Fridays where they received African cultured education.

"I tried to convince him about the importance of education but he would have none of that. He said as long as the children were in his custody, they would not go to school," said Chidewe.

She further said Mahuda was married to a 17-year-old who was struggling to take care of the children.

In default, magistrate Ms Rebecca Kavhiya ruled in Chidewe's favour saying Mahuda should hand over the children within seven days.

Ms Kavhiya authorised the police to remove the children from his custody.