Spare schools from election campaign

By Benjamin Chitate

Education Minister, Senator David Coltart is on record saying “I have stated, as policy, on numerous occasions in the last 4 years that schools should not be used under any circumstances for partisan political activity.” However, he seems to have been ignored.

According to a Zimbabwean daily newspaper that has been covering some of the campaign rallies live, Zanu PF held their rally at Nzvimbo Secondary School in Chiweshe on a Thursday.

Not to be outdone by Zanu PF, the Professor Ncube-led MDC used school premises for its rally in Chikomba. We are told “School children at Madzivire Primary and Secondary Schools are to be dismissed early today to pave way for the rally scheduled to take place in their grounds” (Source: NewsDay).

This is a violation of children’s rights as recently expressed by the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) and children’s rights activists.

Holding political rallies at schools violates children’s rights, including Section 81 of the new Constitution which says children should not be forced to attend rallies or any political activities.

There could be other parties who have disrupted learning activity in schools which I haven’t noticed, but the practice is bad, irrespective of who is doing it. The electorate must be weary of such human rights abuses and must punish parties which violent children’s rights this way in the ballot box.

Benjamin Chitate, New Zealand