HARARE – Over a hundred girls from one of Zimbabwe’s top schools in Macheke, Mashonaland East province, besieged a police station on Friday in extraordinary scenes, claiming sexual abuse by teachers among a litany of complaints.
The high school students from Monte Cassino Girls High, which has been ranked among Zimbabwe’s best top 10 schools, also complained over corporal punishment, a substandard food menu and verbal abuse by teachers.
The complaints sheet also included claims that pupils who did not pay for holiday lessons were being punished during the normal course of the term.
The girls walked 6km to the police station, the ZBC reported.
Macheke police invited officials from the district education office to address the pupils on the non-criminal aspects of their complaints. The officials promised to look into the grievances.
Police also told the pupils that investigators were being sent to the school to look into specific criminal allegations.
The determined girls numbering about 150 left their school at 4AM, arriving at the police station just before 6AM in an unprecedented demonstration and show of unity.
School authorities sent the school bus to fetch the pupils, who left the police station just after midday, the ZBC reported.
