Top Anglican Church school ownership dispute explodes

A bitter dispute over the ownership of St Mark's Secondary School in Mhondoro–Ngezi has erupted into protests, arrests and deepening mistrust, with villagers accusing the Anglican Church of claiming exclusive control over a school they insist was built on donated communal land through local labour and sacrifice.

The wrangle has reopened long-standing questions around church-run schools, community contributions and access to education, as parents argue that an institution founded to serve their children is now shutting them out.

Tensions flared after local children were allegedly denied enrolment at the Anglican Church-run school, which villagers say has increasingly prioritised boarding pupils from outside the area. The dispute escalated into open confrontation last week when villagers staged demonstrations, digging trenches along access roads to block vehicles ferrying non-local pupils. Fourteen villagers were arrested during the protests and later released after paying fines of US$30 each, but hostility between the community and school authorities remains high.

Truth Diggers visited Mhondoro–Ngezi to trace how relations collapsed at a rural school that once symbolised hope for disadvantaged learners.

At the centre of the standoff is the question of ownership. Villagers argue that St Mark's is a community school, pointing to the fact that the land was donated from communal grazing areas and that locals constructed the classrooms using their own labour and resources, with minimal government assistance.

Village head Mafaiti Pongoli, whose Rupiya family donated the land, said the initiative was driven by the urgent need to reduce the long distances children were walking to attend secondary school.

"Our children were walking more than 10 kilometres one way to St Peter's Secondary School in Chirundazi," Pongoli said. "Many dropped out. That is why villagers approached us for land."

He said the family agreed to donate the land, just as it had done decades earlier for a nearby Anglican primary school in the 1950s.

"After approval from the Ministry of Education, villagers began moulding bricks and constructing classrooms," Pongoli said. "The ministry later assisted through grants that schools used to receive in those days."

Former building committee member Lawrence Mlambo accused the Anglican Diocese of attempting to take full ownership of the school.

"This school belongs to the community," Mlambo said. "The Anglican Church only runs it on behalf of the Ministry of Education. It was built by villagers."

He said that when the community initially approached the church for help in establishing a secondary school, the diocese was reluctant, insisting its focus was limited to the primary school.

"They told us the primary school was the best they could do for the community," Mlambo said. "We then approached the ministry, which gave us approval and US$3 000 to start construction. Villagers provided labour, bricks and builders — everything."

Protest leader Regis Makaya recalled personally carrying bricks to the construction site daily while still a pupil.

"I remember carrying 10 bricks every morning before going to class," he said. "That is why it pains me to be part of these protests today."

Makaya said villagers repeatedly wrote to school authorities seeking dialogue, particularly over what they described as exorbitant fees and high cut-off points that effectively exclude local children.

"Form One fees of US$450 are too high for villagers," he said. "Our children are now forced to walk 10 kilometres to Chirundazi — the same situation that forced us to build this school more than 40 years ago."

Local councillor Tawanda Sibanda condemned the school authorities, accusing them of arrogance and insensitivity.

"Villagers wrote letters seeking dialogue, and I also formally requested a meeting in October, but there was no response," Sibanda said. "Yet they were quick to report villagers to the police."

Traditional leader Chief Ngezi, born Peter Pasipamire, said his mediation efforts were ignored by the Anglican Diocese.

"They claim to follow biblical principles, but their actions show otherwise," the chief said. "I summoned them for meetings several times, and they never showed up."

He also accused the school of illegally harvesting firewood from communal forests to feed boarding pupils without seeking permission.

"I was forced to confiscate firewood and take it to my homestead two weeks ago," he said.

Anglican Diocese secretary for education Lazaras Nyatsanza declined to engage on the allegations, insisting the school belonged to the diocese and referring further questions to the bishop. Efforts to interview the bishop were unsuccessful despite repeated visits to diocesan offices in Harare and multiple phone calls.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou said the dispute reflected a broader national problem, arguing that church-run schools were increasingly operating as business entities.

"Government must also take responsibility for failing to provide equalisation funds," Zhou said. "Mission school fees ranging between US$400 and US$800 are unaffordable in a country where the average worker earns about US$270."

He added that while some mission schools are still cheaper than elite private institutions charging more than US$3 500, the fees remain prohibitively high for most Zimbabweans. Zhou also raised concerns over alleged discrimination and victimisation of teachers based on religious affiliation in church-run schools.

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education deputy director for communications and advocacy Patrick Zumbo said proximity should guide enrolment.

"The nearest school is the best school for a child," Zumbo said. "All schools, including church-run institutions, must prioritise local learners."

He dismissed prioritisation based on ability to pay and said the ministry had intervened in similar disputes across the country, often reaching amicable solutions. On ownership, Zumbo said the responsible authority is deemed the owner, while school fees must be approved annually by the ministry.

Education experts warn that when access to education is restricted, ultimate responsibility rests with the state. They caution that unless fees are kept reasonable, affordable and properly regulated, schools risk excluding the very communities they were meant to serve.

For villagers in Mhondoro–Ngezi, the dispute leaves a lingering question unresolved: can a school built by the community still belong to the community when its children are denied access?