Veritas on political abuse of school children

By Farayi Machamire

HARARE – Legal watchdog — Veritas — has raised alarm over the conflation of State and Zanu PF in ongoing efforts to prohibit political parties from using school property and forcing attendance of school children to political rallies.

This comes after the Supreme Court set July 27, three days before the elections, as the day they will hear Zanu PF’s appeal against Veritas and the Association of Rural Teachers Unions of Zimbabwe (Artuz)’s urgent application.

Veritas and Artuz launched an urgent application in the Masvingo High Court last month to prohibit the use of school property for political purposes and the forced attendance of schoolchildren at political rallies.

The court granted the application on June 28, and issued a provisional interdict, prohibiting Zanu PF from using school property for political purposes, and from compelling teachers to attend rallies, prepare performances for children to deliver at rallies, or to make contributions towards rallies.

Zanu PF responded to the High Court’s interdict by filing a notice of appeal, effectively suspending the High Court’s interdict pending the hearing of the appeal which will be heard on July 27. Daily News.