Andrew
Emmanuel Kafe
Chitungwiza residents are living in fear following a disturbing surge in violent attacks against school children in the dormitory town.
Barely two weeks after a Chitungwiza man —Prosper Tirivavi—terrorised four Form Four pupils at Jonas High School in Seke and viciously attacked them, a six-member gang has been accused of allegedly brutally attacking school children.
Three Form Six pupils from Seke 1 High School, a head boy and two prefects, are nursing wounds they sustained after being allegedly kidnapped and assaulted by the six-member gang on Monday.
Witnesses told The Sunday Mail how in movie-style fashion, a tinted commuter omnibus suddenly stopped where the students were.
The three who were walking home from school were bundled into the commuter omnibus which sped away.
A misunderstanding over cellphones between the three victims and some aggrieved pupils at school, is believed to have sparked the kidnapping.
Following the misunderstanding, the aggrieved pupils had allegedly enlisted services of the vigilante gang —led by James Mwadiwa (30).
Recalling their horror, the three boys say they fear the worst could have happened. A police roadblock near Zororo Cemetery stood between the kidnappers’ plans and their freedom.
Upon noticing they could not proceed, the kidnappers made an about turn, sped off and abandoned a planned torture session.
However, after evading police Mwadiwa and his gang went on to allegedly assault the students and left them bleeding.
Parents of the three students say their children are living in fear.
One parent said her son, who is in Form 6, is struggling to cope with the trauma of the attack.
She said the boy is now terrified of going to school.
“I am worried about what happened, my child is currently surviving on pain killer tablets.
“I have not been able to raise money for him to be checked by a doctor, to ascertain if he did not sustain head injuries,” she said.
She revealed that her son is now always alert of his surroundings, fearing another attack.
“At one point, on his way to school, he saw a commuter omnibus, similar to the one driven by their kidnappers. He returned home fearing for his life.”
She suggested psychosocial support for the students for a quick recovery.
Worryingly, even teachers at the school say they are aware of and afraid of the marauding gangs.
“The teachers are telling us they have been attacked before, while trying to protect and escort one of the boys who was being threatened by some gangsters,” the parent said.
Another parent said it appears the gang members are well-connected.
It is believed that the gangsters’ modus operandi, when targeting school pupils, is to wear school uniforms during sports days.
They blend in with other children to avoid detection by parents and teachers.
A Chitungwiza man, whose son was also kidnapped, implored authorities to impose stiffer measures to protect children in schools.
“If it were not for the police roadblock at Zororo Cemetery, we could have been talking of something very different,” he said.
“It was a lucky twist, the kidnappers made a U-turn because they had no driver’s licences. Our children could have been killed, judging by the way they were beaten up.”
He hoped for justice to prevail.
“Children are innocent souls and they deserve to be protected,” he added.
The father said gang members that patrol in Chitungwiza are known to abuse drugs and other intoxicants and can do anything, if paid.
In another case, a day after the alleged kidnappings, a Form Two pupil from the same school was stabbed by an unknown person during sporting activities.
The boy died a few days later, with details about the attack still sketchy.
Yesterday, The Sunday Mail visited the home of the slain boy and a funeral service was in progress. His parents and relatives said they were traumatised to talk about his death.
On Friday, Mwadiwa and his gang appeared in court and were each granted $20 000 bail.
A number of school children have been on the receiving end of criminal activities this year with one of the most gruesome cases being the suspected murder of St Mathias Tsonzo High school student Livingstone Sunhwa, who disappeared under controversial circumstances seven months ago in Mutasa District, Manicaland.
Online Reporter