BY TAPFUMANEI MUCHABAIWA
GOKOMERE High School head Acquanos Mazhunga, who has been withholding 2021 Ordinary Level results for 23 pupils following a student protest last year has succumbed to pressure.
Mazhunga had withheld the results to force the students to pay US$25 each as compensation for damages they allegedly caused during the November 2021 protests.
The juveniles’ case is pending at the Masvingo Magistrates Court.
The Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), through Martin Mureri challenged the school head’s decision to withhold the results arguing that the students were not indebted to the school.
“It is not the students who are indebted to Gokomere High School and those who want to enrol for Advanced Level studies are being prejudiced by the withholding of their examination results.
“Be guided accordingly, that if the school authorities have issues regarding any outstanding payments owed by the students, they should approach their parents or guardians,” part of the letter read.
Mureri had given Mazhunga 48 hours to release the withheld examination results, failure of which he would institute legal proceedings against the school.
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In response to Mureri’s letter, Mazhunga advised the juveniles to collect their results at Gokomere High School.
“Mazhunga said he would engage the students’ parents and guardians for payment of US$25 each for the purported damage to school property,” part of the letter read.
School authorities in Zimbabwe resort to withholding examination results for students whose fees are in arrears.
In 2018, High Court judge, Justice Nicholas Mathonsi declared unconstitutional the practice by school authorities of withholding examination results for students to induce payment of outstanding school fees.
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