Race storm at Peterhouse as black teachers cry foul

Black teachers at the elite Peterhouse Boys School have made a passionate plea for government intervention amid serious allegations of racial discrimination within the institution’s staff structures.

The accusations paint a troubling picture of inequality and favouritism allegedly benefiting white staff members at the prestigious private school, located in Marondera, Zimbabwe.

According to insiders, black teachers say they are being subjected to systematic marginalisation while their white counterparts enjoy privileges and leniencies not afforded to them.

One such complaint involves a senior official in the accounting department — name withheld — who allegedly operates a thriving side business selling dairy products like yoghurt, cheese, and fresh cream on campus. It is alleged she uses the school’s reprography room for her sales, with the printing staff reportedly repurposed to assist in her personal venture.

"Meanwhile, black teachers are strictly prohibited from conducting any form of business on school premises,” said one teacher, who requested anonymity out of fear of reprisal.

Another white teacher is said to be openly running a poultry and honey business within the school, further fuelling claims of a racially biased double standard.

Staff members also allege that certain school tours are handled privately by individual white teachers rather than through central school administration, raising concerns about possible kickbacks.

"There is a silent, targeted campaign against black teachers, reportedly led by one of the heads of studies, with suspicions that the goal is to gradually replace them with foreign white educators from the UK and Australia," a teacher claimed.

In response to the allegations, Peterhouse Boys School Rector Jon Trafford dismissed the claims as distorted and unreflective of the institution’s values and practices.

"The school does not comment on internal matters that may compromise the privacy of staff," Trafford said in a written response. "It would appear that your source has selectively distorted facts. The allegations do not reflect reality on the ground."

He added: "The alleged asymmetry between the treatment of black and white staff members is untrue. Peterhouse has always stood for diversity and remains firmly opposed to racism."

Despite the school’s rebuttal, the aggrieved teachers are urging the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to step in and investigate what they describe as a toxic culture that continues to fester behind the institution’s polished reputation.

The controversy adds to growing concerns about covert racism and inequality in some of Zimbabwe’s elite schools, where calls for reform have grown louder in recent years.