Sex storm pupils stranded

EIGHTEEN pupils from Ndlovu Secondary School in Hwange are stranded and not attending school after their makeshift boarding facility was closed last month following a sex scandal.

The girls who were reportedly staying in two four-roomed houses which they rented outside school premises, about 50 kilometres from Victoria Falls Town, were ordered out of the houses after the sex scandal broke out last month.

Six of the pupils, who are in Form One, Two and Four, were suspended from school for two weeks for their involvement in the sex escapades last term.

The sex scandal involved boys who are former pupils and some doing Form Four at the school. They would visit the girls' lodgings at night and engage in sex with them on a number of occasions.

Some of the girls admitted engaging in sex on numerous occasions with different men.

The girls (names withheld) said they engaged in the activity in their shared rooms in the presence of their roommates.

However, reports are that the affected pupils were no longer attending school because they stayed far away from school and could not walk for lessons.

Most of them came from far areas such as Jambezi, Lubangwe and Victoria Falls, distances which are between 40 and 50 kilometres from the school.

One of the affected pupils told Sunday News that most of the girls were not going to school as they could not return to Ndlovu since they have nowhere to stay.

"We were told that our places are still there at the school but we could not go back to school since we have no one to stay with. The boarding facility was the only accommodation we could get in the area. Although the school allowed us to look for villagers to stay with, most villagers were unwilling to accommodate us," she said.

The pupil said they could not look for places anywhere since the fees were expensive and needed them to commute everyday.

"Our parents can't afford that. Ndlovu is the school which they managed since the fees were cheaper compared to other schools in the area. As for now most of us are just seated at home since June," said the pupil.

The only secondary school in Victoria Falls, Mosi a Tunya High School charges about $256 for the first term fees which includ a bus fee and uniforms, thereafter $75 every term.

However, Ndlovu Secondary School charges only $31 per term and most parents preferred sending their children to the school.

Contacted for comment, the councillor for Hwange Ward Six, Martin Ndlovu, in which the school is situated said some of the girls have returned and were living with villagers but did not confirm their number.

"I don't have the full records on the number of pupils who returned and those who didn't but what I know is some few are living with villagers. On my side I had to engage the police to make a clean-up of the area so that we don't witness a repeat of such acts. They have been doing well in their investigations," said Clr Ndlovu.

Efforts to get a comment from the headmaster of the school, Mr Bheki Ndlovu, were fruitless as his mobile phone was unreachable.

This publication has it on good authority that he was admitted to Hwange Colliery Hospital after getting involved in a road accident in the district last week.

According to confirmed reports, Mr Ndlovu was aboard a lift when the accident happened between Hwange and Victoria Falls and he was the one who was seriously injured among the passengers who were travelling in the vehicle.

One of the men believed to be the ring leader of the sex storm, Oliver Maseko is serving 10 years in prison after he was last month convicted of a previous case of rape.

The girls alleged that Maseko would perform rituals before having sex with them.