Headmaster, teacher slapped by invisible individuals sparks panic

Business recently came to a standstill at Rockbar Primary School in Mhondoro-Ngezi when the acting headmaster and a female teacher began acting strangely, claiming that they were being slapped by invisible individuals.

The incident, which was confirmed by the Mashonaland West provincial education officer, Mr Sylvester Mashayamombe, has sent tongues wagging in the community. The acting headmaster was recently forced to "apologise to the community as there is belief that he wronged a certain family."

In confirming the incident, Mr Mashayamombe highlighted that the hysteria did not affect students.

"We were first informed that some unusual happenings were taking place at the school and in our investigations, village elders told us that the headmaster was being punished for offending a certain family in the community," he said.

"The reports we got claimed that the headmaster had an affair with a woman from the nearby village but ended the affair when he married someone else. The female teacher is said to have experienced the hysteria each time she came near the male teacher.

Armed with this information, we asked the pair to apologise and the strange incidents ceased on the day they apologised to the community," he said.

Apart from claiming to be slapped by invisible creatures, the pair is said to have also reported that doors to their homes were being opened mysteriously.

Mr Mashayamombe added that both the acting headmaster and female teacher have since requested transfers.

"They both applied for transfers and the female teacher has already moved. Plans are afoot to transfer the acting headmaster as well," he said.

Zimbabwe has over the years recorded several cases of hysteria reported at schools.