2 schools closed over Satanism scare

AUTHORITIES at Maramba Secondary School in Mutawatawa and St Joseph Secondary School in Rusape have ordered the two institutions to shut down following a Satanism scare.

Makoni district schools inspector Nathaniel Machini and Manicaland provincial education director Edward Shumba reportedly visited St Joseph School last week to assess the situation after parents demanded that the school remains closed.

The students were allegedly initiated into Satanism after receiving money and gifts from a classmate.

At Maramba Secondary where seven female students were affected last week, classes were suspended by the school development committee (SDC) on Friday after the students went into mass hysteria and were admitted to Mutawatawa District Hospital.

"The school staff and the parents later resolved that the school needs a cleansing process and a committee that will foresee the proceedings was elected. It was agreed that the cleansing process shall be conducted. The parents declared that all children will not attend school until the cleansing process has been done and the alleged teacher has been expelled," read an SDC report shown to NewsDay.

Efforts to get a comment from the Primary and Secondary Education ministry were fruitless yesterday, but police in Mashonaland East province confirmed receiving the Satanism scare report.

Maramba ward councillor Tichafunga Marekera said education officials were invited to the school to make their investigations.

"We informed the ministry over the issue and they are here at the school doing their investigations. We told the children to come to the school so that they can assist the officials with information since they are the ones being affected. The ministry will then direct us on what to do and how to deal with such issues as there are other schools that had a similar problem," he said.