Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
AN 11-year-old learner from St Peter’s Tokoyo Primary School in Makoni South allegedly committed suicide after enduring persistent bullying from fellow learners who reportedly took her food, humiliated her and falsely accused her of having boyfriends, leaving her grieving family demanding answers.
The death of Grade Five learner, Tinashe Simbarasi, has sent shockwaves through Tokoyo Village, with relatives accusing school authorities of failing to act despite repeated complaints about the abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of older pupils.
Tinashe died at Rusape General Hospital last week after allegedly ingesting an unknown substance.
Her family said her death was the culmination of weeks of torment that included having food forcibly taken from her lunchbox and being subjected to verbal abuse by a group of learners, among them a Grade Six prefect.
The alleged prefect’s name is being withheld because she is a minor.
When The Manica Post visited Tokoyo Village on Monday, villagers were still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy, with many describing Tinashe as a quiet and respectful child whose death has exposed what they say is a growing problem of bullying at the school.
Tinashe stayed with her 82-year-old great-grandmother, Mrs Clara Dindikwa, who said the young girl repeatedly returned home distressed after encounters with fellow learners. Fighting back tears, Mrs Dindikwa recalled the events leading up to her granddaughter’s death.
“She came home around 11am on that day, and told me that Grade Seven examinations were taking place, and that she could not remain at school because some children were bullying her,” she said.
Moments later, four schoolgirls reportedly arrived at the homestead, and told the elderly woman that teachers wanted Tinashe back at school to answer allegations that she had two boyfriends.
“One of the girls was a prefect, so I believed them. I told Tinashe to put on her uniform and go with them because they said teachers wanted to speak to her,” said Mrs Dindikwa.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the death.
“It is alleged that on September 28, at around 1pm, Tinashe met a fellow learner who accused her, in the presence of other learners, of having two boyfriends. Other learners allegedly joined in bullying her, leading her to leave school and return home,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
Makoni District Schools Inspector, Mr George Chidhakwa, also confirmed Tinashe’s death, but said education authorities were still gathering information.
“The death occurred outside the school premises. Investigations are still underway to establish exactly what happened and the circumstances surrounding the incident,” he said.
However, the family insists that the allegations about boyfriends were only part of a broader pattern of abuse that had been going on for some time.
Mrs Dindikwa said both Tinashe and her younger brother, who is in Grade One at the same school, were regularly targeted by fellow learners because of the food they brought to school.
“She would often come home crying, saying other children were taking food from her lunchbox without her permission. They would start by grabbing food from her younger brother before targeting her. She told me several times that she had reported the matter, but nobody listened to her. That is what pains me the most. She sought help, but nothing was done,” she said.
The elderly woman said she is now worried about the safety of Tinashe’s younger brother, who continues to attend the same school
Tinashe’s mother, Ms Patience Tokoyo, who works in Harare, said her daughter had only enrolled at St Peter’s Tokoyo Primary School on September 16 after choosing to stay with her great-grandmother.
“She had only been at the school for about three weeks when these allegations about boyfriends suddenly surfaced. I want to know who called her back to school and why. My daughter complained to us about bullying over her lunchbox. She said she was frustrated because her reports were not being taken seriously,” she said.
Mrs Tokoyo said the family believes her daughter’s death could have been prevented.
“My daughter is gone. She has been buried, yet the children she said were tormenting her are still attending school as if nothing happened. We expected some form of support from the school, but none of the teachers attended her funeral,” she said.
A neighbour, Mrs Judith Chirwanemhuka, who helped rush Tinashe to hospital, claimed the alleged bullying was not an isolated incident.
She said her own grandchild had also allegedly fallen victim to the same group of learners.
“The prefect had been taking food from my grandchild as well. I had to go to the school and confront her over it,” she said.
Mrs Chirwanemhuka further alleged that Tinashe disclosed the reasons behind her actions while receiving treatment at Rusape General Hospital.
“As her condition seemed to improve, she told a doctor that she had decided to take the substance because she could no longer cope with the abuse she was facing at school,” she said.
Mrs Chirwanemhuka said Tinashe’s great-grandmother had previously confronted the families of the alleged bullies but was insulted and dismissed.
She said the young girl’s health later deteriorated while arrangements were being made to transfer her to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.
“Just hours before she died, she repeatedly mentioned the name of one of the girls she blamed for what had happened. It was heart-breaking to witness,” said Mrs Chirwanemhuka.
The tragedy has sparked soul-searching in Tokoyo Village, with villagers calling for urgent intervention to address bullying in schools and provide counselling services for vulnerable learners.
Community member, Mrs Bianda Chiputsa, said the village had recently witnessed another child suicide, making the situation even more concerning.
“We cannot allow bullying and suicide to become normal in our community. Our children need guidance, support and protection,” she said.
Another villager, Mr Stephen Chipfuwamiti, said fighting bullying requires the collective involvement of schools, parents and community leaders.
“Bullying is becoming a serious concern. Children must be taught how to resolve conflicts peacefully, while parents and teachers need to work together to identify warning signs before tragedies occur,” he said.
Village head Tokoyo’s aide, Mr Lloyd Matanda, said the community was standing with the bereaved family as investigations continue.
