Zim farm school future uncertain as teachers face eviction
By Alex Bell
21 September 2012
The future of a primary school on a farm in Chivhu remains uncertain, amid
an ongoing attempt by a female prison officer to evict the teachers who live
and work on the farm.
The three teachers from Makumimavi Primary School have been fighting to keep
the farm school open and stay on the property, ever since it was seized
under the guise of land ‘reform’ more than a year ago. The teachers have
been living on the farm in a compound specifically built to house the school’s
staff and without them, the school will be closed.
The beneficiary of the land, prison officer Angela Chisora, has since filed
criminal charges against one of the teachers, Edwin Maseva, for refusing to
vacate the property. He is being charged under a section of the Land Act,
which ‘outlaws’ his ongoing occupation of a building on the government
gazetted land.
Jeremiah Bamu from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) told SW Radio
Africa on Friday that Maseva was meant to appear in court this week, but the
state could not produce any witnesses for the case. He explained that when
the state is ready to proceed, Maseva will be summonsed once again.
“He sees this as harassment and intimidation. This has been going on for
about a year and a half and he has been requested to attend court on a
number of occasions. His right to a fair trial is being denied,” Bamu said.
In August Maseva was only issued with a summons to attend court on the day
that he was meant to appear. He had also been previously summoned in March,
but the summons was defective and quashed after the intervention of ZLHR.
Desperate parents concerned about their children’s future at the school have
meanwhile pleaded to Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and
the Education and Lands ministries to intervene. But these pleas have not
been answered.
“His eviction will negatively impact on the right to education of over 100
children who learn at the farm school. It is necessary that this matter is
concluded as soon as possible,” said Bamu.
The school remains open, for now.