Sexual Abuse Scandal Hits Bulawayo Primary School

The Standard
By Nqobani Ndlovu
25 October 2009

BULAWAYO — At least 106 orphans at a local primary school with 366 pupils have been sexually abused. And 15 of these children have tested positive for HIV after they were raped by close relatives, a yet to be released documentary has revealed.

The pupils at Lockview Primary School come from a neighbourhood, which consists of peri-urban plots where victims of the government’s 2005 clean up campaign found refugee.

A Bulawayo film maker, Thandazani Nkomo said he was touched by the plight of the children and decided on a documentary that might prompt the authorities into action.

The documentary appears to have achieved the goal before it is even released as it has forced community leaders and government officials to carry out their own investigations.

Out of the 366 pupils, 350 come from families that share a single room, which might explain the abuse.

“There is a lot of poverty in the area,” said Tabitha Khumalo, the MP for the area who said the documentary had left the community “searching for answers”.

“There are a lot of child-headed families, children staying with relatives and most of these children have confirmed that they were sexually abused at one point or another. “Some of the children do not report the cases of sexual abuse because they are being abused by people who provide them with accommodation, food and send them to school.”

About 10 people have been jailed for rape and other sexual offences after some of the children braved threats and reported them to the police.

But four children withdrew cases of child abuse against the accused after going hungry since the abusers were breadwinners.

“We cannot test some of the children for HIV but most of them have tell-tale signs of the disease,” a teacher at the school said.

“They confide in us about the level of abuse at their homes but we cannot report the cases. Most of them are always absent minded.

“The level of abuse is shocking, but it’s difficult to prosecute the abusers because they are the people that these children turn to for shelter and food.”

Khumalo said: “We are in a quandary as to how to handle the issue…we are working on providing accommodation, building a hostel for the kids so that they can feel secure and report the abuse. It’s so painful and depressing.”

Nkomo said the lack of accommodation was one of the most plausible explanations for the abuse. His documentary is titled Rights and Recourses.

“NGOs dealing with cases of child abuse should come to the rescue of these children by providing them with accommodation so that they feel secure and can press charges,” Khumalo said.

Senator David Coltart, the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, said he had been briefed about the developments at the school but his ministry’s role in resolving the problems was limited because the abuse was happening outside the school.

“I have heard about child abuse at that school and discussed the matter with Khumalo,” he said on Friday. “I have instructed the Permanent Secretary to investigate.

“What complicates the matter is the fact that this abuse is taking place at their homes and not at the environs of the school.

“Nonetheless, investigations are ongoing and once complete we would have to examine how to proceed with the matter in terms of social welfare and taking the issue to the police.”

Zimbabwe has a high number of orphaned children due to the rising death rate attributed to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.