where a fight broke out between Zanu PF youths, Willard Katyamakwara and Brain Mariza Meza during
discussions about Mugabe’s burial. Mariza was heavily assaulted and accused for being a Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) sympathiser when he commented that Mugabe was not a good leader and should not
be buried at the national shrine.
In Mazowe West on 11 September 2019, Zanu PF District Chairperson Joseph Muswaka threatened to take drastic
measures to deal with individuals who were not attending Mugabe’s funeral at Rufaro stadium. During a meeting
convened at Dandamera Shopping Centre in Ward 15, Muswaka warned that residents should board Zupco buses
allocated by government to ferry people to the stadium. He further warned that those in leadership positions must
lead by example, citing that Mugabe was a national hero. Party activists Gift Mupambwa and Joyce Viniga were
assigned to identify what he termed culprits.
The right to education violation is ever more apparent when schools open as was recently the case during the
commencement of the third term. Scores of children were turned away due to their parents’ failure to settle the
requisite school fees, a situation which is contrary to regulations and policy of the Ministry of Primary and
Secondary School Education. ZPP noted 17 cases of children being turned away from school with Mashonaland
Central leading the pack with 5 cases. In one particularly disturbing incident in Gweru, Chiwundura, school
authorities at St Patrick’s Primary in Ward 9 are allegedly ‘detaining’ pupils for the whole day without food and
water while supervising them undertaking manual work around the school. Pupils who had not paid their fees were
allegedly told to mold 60 bricks each to be allowed to attend classes. This has been happening from 07:15 hours
to 16:30 hours since the week of 9 September 2019.