Students railroaded to Zanu-PF rally

TEACHERS unions have condemned Zanu-PF for disrupting learning and frog-marching students to its campaign rallies ahead of the Saturday by-elections.

Yesterday, students from Chaminuka Primary School in St Mary's, Chitungwiza, were part of the crowd at a rally addressed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) Obert Masaraure said political parties should desist from turning schools into campaign bases.

"We do not want politicians in our schools. Our schools should never be abused in terms of private political beings," Masaraure said.

"In 2017, we reported the case of political interference to the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission. We are glad that at some point we had this commission issuing a damning report on Zanu-PF condemning the abuse of schools, condemning the abuse of properties, condemning the dragging of learners and teachers to political rallies."

He said Artuz was preparing a court challenge, seeking an order barring political parties from accessing schools as well as initiating a citizen-led process of producing safe schools regulations.

Zimbabwe National Teachers Union president Manuel Nyawo also called for de-politicisation of learning institutions.

"It is not ideal for politicians to hold rallies in school premises because we have always called for depoliticisation of learning institutions," Nyawo
said.

"We are not politicians and schools are not political grounds for politicians and, therefore, we appeal to these politicians to stay away from  using school premises as rallying points for politics."