The ManicaPost
Freedom Mutanda Post Correspondent
FRESH from the Watson Bundwa saga, Mount Selinda High School in Chipinge is in the eye of a storm again.
A parent who lost School Development Committee elections at Mount Selinda, a Jenya, has vowed to remove the incumbent chair, Mr Ashirai Mawere, basing his arguments on Mr Mawere’s religion. He argues that since the latter is a Moslem, he cannot lead a parents’ body at a United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe.
Contacted for comment, UCCZ president, Reverend Ephraim Ngadziore, said the church was guided by the Education Act and would therefore, not stand in the way of anyone chosen by the parents themselves.
‘’We are guided by the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the relevant policy seculars. Thus, we accept Mr Mawere’s elevation to the chairmanship. As UCCZ, we don’t think it is advisable right now to begin divisive battles when our mandate is to deliver first world education at our institutions. As a matter of fact, that point was raised during the elections and the parents thought it best to choose a leadership that they wanted. The elected members then chose the various posts on offer in the parents’ body,’’ Rev Ngadziore said.
Mr Mawere played down the issue and said he had the mandate of the parents to lead the SDC.‘’Our shoulders are on the wheel as we want to continue the success trajectory at Mt Selinda High School. These are side issues that seek to put a full stop to our desire of making the school the best in the country,’’ he said.Several parents interviewed said unity of purpose would transform the school and that would put to rest the long suffering parents’ anxieties.
‘’If UCCZ leadership wants an SDC chair who comes from its denomination, then all students should be from within its church. Without that discriminatory policy, it stands to reason that it should allow anyone to lead the parents’ body,’’ said one irate parents on condition of anonymity.
