Grade 7 pupil expelled after 'Satanism scare'

A GRADE seven pupil has allegedly been 'expelled' from Robert Tredgold Primary School after she collapsed several times at the school in a suspected Satanism case at the Bulawayo learning institution.

Parents of the 13-year-old girl, Miyck and Netsai Rukombo, are livid that their daughter  was being denied entry into the school, four months before the Grade Seven Examinations.

Narrating the ordeal, the mother of the pupil, Netsai Rukombo said her daughter came home from school with a pair of earrings and $6 in cash but could not account for the money and earrings.

The following day Netsai accompanied her daughter to school and surrendered the earrings and money to the school authorities.

Then a bizarre incident occurred that same afternoon, according to the mother.

"My daughter said while she was in class she saw a woman clad in a black outfit sitting in front of her wearing the same earrings  that I had surrendered to the school authorities and when she screamed, the unidentified woman stabbed her and my child fainted," said Netsai.

The pupil's teacher, Mrs R Damba, alerted school authorities who promptly called an ambulance.  The schoolgirl was ferried to a local hospital where she received medical attention and was discharged.  More bizarre incidents would follow.

"The following day my daughter went back to school but this time around she would see more women wearing black clothes and the same earrings and would collapse. When she collapsed for the second time I was called to the school and I took her home but the attitude of the school authorities had changed. They would not allow her into the school and at one time I found her standing alone at the school gate after a Good Samaritan had phoned me," she said.

The father of the pupil, Miyck, weighed in saying that the Robert Tredgold headmistress, only identified as Mrs Moyo, had allegedly failed to handle his daughter's situation properly.

"I am very disappointed in the manner the school authorities handled the incident because they denied my daughter access into the school even when I had suggested we involve the School Development Committee (SDC).

Other pupils are now afraid to mingle with my daughter and she is traumatised that even her friends now reject her," said Miyck.

On Wednesday afternoon B-Metro went to Tredgold Primary School to investigate the matter further. The first port of call was the headmistress' - Mrs Moyo - office.  She said she was well aware of the incident but insisted that she, together with the father's child, had resolved the matter.

Moyo claimed the girl was back in class. But when B-Metro asked to independently verify that the child was indeed at school by going to her classroom, Moyo's demeanour changed.

"In fact, I have just broken protocol by speaking to you (media) so I suggest you call the DSI (District School Inspector)," said Moyo before asking this publication to leave her office.

It later turned out the pupil was, in fact, in rural Birchenough Bridge area with her father.

"I'm in the rural areas with my daughter where we are consulting traditional healers. She has not been at school since last week so I don't understand why the headmistress is saying my child is at school," said Miyck.

Bulawayo provincial education director, Olica Kaira said she was in a meeting when reached for a comment.