Chief Mayenga Fuyane of Maphisa has admitted that community leaders “dragged their feet” in dealing with the brutal assault of learners at Mahetshe Primary School in Matobo District by police officers during a so-called crime awareness campaign in May this year.
Four months later after the incident happened, the chief said the accused police officers are still on duty as he often sees them manning road blocks in the district.
Read:https://cite.org.zw/outrage-in-maphisa-as-police-brutalise-learners-during-crime-awareness-drive/
In an interview with CITE, Chief Fuyane said this issue continues to cause pain for the community, as there has been little progress in holding the perpetrators accountable.
He confirmed that while parents eventually opened a police case, two months have passed without any update on the investigations.
“The Mahetshe issue pains me, as the chief I am also to blame because we dragged our feet in handling the case,” Chief Fuyane said.
“After (Matabeleland South) Senator (Nonhlanhla) Mlotshwa raised the issue (a Statement of National Interest) in the Senate, we called all the stakeholders in government who deal with children, that is Social Welfare, police, hospital, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the school authorities. We discussed the matter and these departments told us they are still doing investigations over the beating of children.”
Chief Fuyane said the police only took action after parents formally lodged a complaint.
“The Dispol (Officer Commanding the District) came and told us what they had done as police because the parents had not yet opened a case of assault for their children. We then advised the parents to open a police case,” said the chief.
After some time, the chief said he received communication from the police station in Maphisa that parents had opened a case and investigations were on course.
“However, I haven’t gone back to find out how far they have gone because I think two months have passed,”Chief Fuyane said.
He also acknowledged the lack of urgency and promised to seek updates from the police.
=“By asking me for an update, I think you are telling me to go check how far. I have seen some of the cops manning roadblocks (meaning they are still working). Please give me one week to ask the police for feedback,” said Chief Fuyane.
He hinted that the point of accused officers remaining on duty has worsened the trauma for the community.
The assault at Mahetshe Primary School took place on May 21, 2025, when police officers invited by school authorities and the School Development Committee (SDC) to address “naughty” children turned violent. Learners were reportedly beaten in front of their peers, leaving some injured and in shock.
The incident sparked outrage after CITE revealed that the alleged trigger was a case in which a pupil was accused of stealing US$20 from a teacher who was vending snacks at the school. Instead of handling the matter internally, school authorities allegedly called in the police to discipline the children.
Read: https://cite.org.zw/senator-demands-justice-over-police-assault-on-mahetshe-learners/
On June 12, 2025, Senator Mlotshwa, who resides in Mahetshe, raised the matter in the Senate, condemning the police’s actions as “brutal” and calling for accountability.
She demanded that the Minister of Home Affairs carry out a transparent investigation and prosecute the officers involved.
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