News / National
School teacher arrested for distributing MDC fliers
20 Sep 2011 at 20:28hrs | Views
A primary school teacher from Dangamvura in Mutare was last week arrested for allegedly distributing MDC fliers.
The incident happened in full view of 46 year-old Eusebia Chikonyora's Grade 7 pupils. The teacher was led away to Dangamvura police station were she was charged with engaging in opposition politics.
MDC spokesperson for Manicaland province, Hon. Pishai Muchauraya said: "I'm told the police action left the pupils distressed. If they had an issue with her, they should have simply asked her to go to the headmaster's office or invite her to visit the police station and not drag her out of class in full view of the school ," Muchauraya said.
He continued: "What is shocking us is that the police had the audacity to charge her with taking part in opposition politics when she is a civil servant. But how many civil servants are Zanu PF card carrying members today, especially here in Mutare and Manicaland as a province."
"For the record we know that Anxious Mzilikazi a ward 22 Zanu PF councillor is a teacher at Mzilikazi primary school in Buhera, Seenza Sithole, the district administrator in Bikita was a councillor in Chipinge, Gurai Simango, an education
officer in Chipinge is a former Zanu PF councillor. There is a Magodo, the current ward 7 chairperson for Zanu PF in Chipinge but is a headmaster at Mafumise secondary school. There is another Headmaster, Timon Tandi who is a Zanu PF ward 12 councillor in Makoni. The list is long so you wonder why the police have targeted Chikonyora, just because she happens to sympathize with the MDC," the MP added.
The teacher was kept at Dangamvura Police Station from 9am up until two o'clock in the afternoon. She was not physically harmed but was interrogated for hours. Police asked Chikonyora to choose between politics and teaching.
"It's not up to the police to run her life. The problem we have now is that the police have become overzealous and are now more Zanu PF itself than Robert Mugabe," Muchauraya said.
It has become routine for teachers to be targeted by Zanu PF and the partisan armed on allegations that they are sympathetic to the MDC. The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe recently raised concerns that teachers are once again increasingly becoming the main targets of Zanu PF sponsored violence and intimidation as the country limps towards another poll.
The incident happened in full view of 46 year-old Eusebia Chikonyora's Grade 7 pupils. The teacher was led away to Dangamvura police station were she was charged with engaging in opposition politics.
MDC spokesperson for Manicaland province, Hon. Pishai Muchauraya said: "I'm told the police action left the pupils distressed. If they had an issue with her, they should have simply asked her to go to the headmaster's office or invite her to visit the police station and not drag her out of class in full view of the school ," Muchauraya said.
He continued: "What is shocking us is that the police had the audacity to charge her with taking part in opposition politics when she is a civil servant. But how many civil servants are Zanu PF card carrying members today, especially here in Mutare and Manicaland as a province."
"For the record we know that Anxious Mzilikazi a ward 22 Zanu PF councillor is a teacher at Mzilikazi primary school in Buhera, Seenza Sithole, the district administrator in Bikita was a councillor in Chipinge, Gurai Simango, an education
officer in Chipinge is a former Zanu PF councillor. There is a Magodo, the current ward 7 chairperson for Zanu PF in Chipinge but is a headmaster at Mafumise secondary school. There is another Headmaster, Timon Tandi who is a Zanu PF ward 12 councillor in Makoni. The list is long so you wonder why the police have targeted Chikonyora, just because she happens to sympathize with the MDC," the MP added.
The teacher was kept at Dangamvura Police Station from 9am up until two o'clock in the afternoon. She was not physically harmed but was interrogated for hours. Police asked Chikonyora to choose between politics and teaching.
"It's not up to the police to run her life. The problem we have now is that the police have become overzealous and are now more Zanu PF itself than Robert Mugabe," Muchauraya said.
It has become routine for teachers to be targeted by Zanu PF and the partisan armed on allegations that they are sympathetic to the MDC. The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe recently raised concerns that teachers are once again increasingly becoming the main targets of Zanu PF sponsored violence and intimidation as the country limps towards another poll.
Source - MDC