The Sunday News
By Lulu Brenda Harris
9 March 2013
GOVERNMENT is extremely worried and alarmed by the intensifying “satanic’’ incidents taking place across the country’s schools and has opened urgent inquiry into these reports, warning whoever would be found perpetrating such acts in school premises would be thoroughly disciplined.
This past week has been rocked by reports from schools across the country — Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Mashonaland East and Harare.
Schoolchildren have been fainting mysteriously, breaking into fits of hysteria while one schoolgirl woke up with her throat slashed and the latest incident saw some children growing fur and developing “vampire’’ teeth.
In an interview with Sunday News, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Senator David Coltart described these incidents as shocking and said his ministry was highly intolerant of such dreadful acts and was already jumping on the cases.
Sen Coltart said he learnt about such acts from the media and tasked the permanent secretary to urgently open an inquiry and investigate what was happening with immediate effect before it spread affecting all schools.
“I immediately contacted the permanent secretary in my ministry to investigate this issue without delay. As a ministry we learnt about this from the Press and we have to verify exactly what is going on,’’ he said.
The minister said the ministry did not take the satanism acts lightly, as they were affecting schoolchildren, scaring them in the process, consequently compromising education and security in the schools.
“Schools are a second home to the children. We are alarmed. It is disturbing, these are children,’’ he said.
Sen Coltart warned that whoever would be fingered or proven to have had a hand in such acts would be dealt with and disciplined because whatever the case this was causing pandemonium.
“Let me say this and repeat any elements promoting this type of acts would be disciplined.’’
The minister added that it was unfortunate the ministry or provincial education offices learnt about this from the media and it was difficult for officials to act as they had to establish first by themselves what actually took place before commenting because if they did without full facts, it would be premature.
Minister Coltart also said that the ministry had not made any consultations with religious groups because it still had to probe the incidents.
“That’s why we are opening a thorough investigation.  It all comes down to investigating the problem and see what we can do,’’ he said.
Parents are encouraged to seek an audience with the district education officers, who will then guide them to take the proper channel until the matter reaches the government, minister Coltart said.
He added that his ministry had an open door policy and was willing to work with parents to come up with a solution and stop “these unacceptable acts’’.
“Absolutely, parents can inform us about anything that might help. Let me emphasise the ministry does not tolerate any of this. It is totally against it,’’ he stressed.
In rural Hwange, 27 village heads reportedly petitioned the district education officer to remove the headmaster of Neshigwe Secondary school as he was suspected to be involved in satanic acts.
This was after a series of incidents in which girls went into a trance while others claimed to had seen an apparition of a senior member of staff clad in black garments and holding a bottle filed with blood.
In Bulawayo at Entumbane High, parents called an emergency meeting with residents after a number of pupils, mostly Forms 2 and 3 mysteriously collapsed during lessons.
It is reported that 80 students fainted while 100 others screamed hysterically.
A team was setup comprising residents, leaders, the school development committee and a local councillor to look into the issue.
At Nhowe Mission in Mashonaland East, a Form Three pupil was withdrawn from the school by her parents after her throat was mysteriously slashed and several of her dorm mates woke up in blood-stained blankets.
Mashonaland East Education director, Mr Sylvester Machaka, confirmed receiving a report from the school and said they had since set up a team to urgently look into the matter before it affected the whole school.
At Hartcliff 1 Primary school, Harare a teacher allegedly gave two pupils wristbands believed to be linked to satanism.
One pupil is said to have developed vampire teeth while the other grew fur on the skin.
The teacher was taken by the police while parents swarmed the school baying for his blood.
Last year, in Mufakose at Yamunarayi Primary School a class was tormented by invisible images believed to be linked to satanism.
In Lupane at Tshebetshebe Primary, the school was reportedly closed after teachers were tormented by goblins and deserted it.
At that time the ministry said it would not act until it received authentic reports from the parties involved or education officials.