Online Reporter
Peter Matika
Bulawayo Bureau
A teacher from Bulawayo’s Milton High School – a boys-only school — has been charged with six counts of indecent assault.
Tyson Lunga, 36, was remanded in custody yesterday by Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Eva Matura, with a bail ruling expected today.
Lunga, is also a pastor at one of the country’s largest Pentecostal churches and a volunteer with the Scripture Union, having served as a patron for various clubs in schools.
He stands accused of indecently assaulting several students at the school, allegedly buying their silence with cash and food, such as burgers.
Court documents detail multiple disturbing incidents. In one instance, Lunga allegedly indecently assaulted a 17-year-old student in April this year, sending him WhatsApp messages proposing a romantic relationship.
“On May 2, 2025, at around 7pm, the accused approached the complainant, suggesting he come to his hostel, which the complainant denied. The accused then sent WhatsApp messages to the complainant, stating he was handsome, and his lips and body looked sexy. He also said that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with him, but the complainant did not reply,” the documents read.
It was further stated that on a later date this year, Lunga met the complainant in town, hugged him and inappropriately touched his back.
The second count involves a 15-year-old student at the school. “The accused summoned the complainant to his office, offered him a pie and then requested to be intimate with him, promising to pay him US$10 afterwards. The complainant told the accused he would give him a reply the following day and then left.
“On May 22, at around 7pm, the accused called the complainant into his room and stated he wanted to pay for his gym fee and give him US$10, in exchange for intimacy,” court documents continued. The accused reportedly did not respond before another student unexpectedly interrupted their conversation.
In the fourth count, another complainant from the school recounted walking with Lunga in the CBD when their conversation turned to homosexuality. Lunga allegedly told the complainant he wanted to experiment and experience what it was like to be intimate with someone of the same sex.
The accused offered the complainant US$50 for them to be intimate, but the complainant refused. The accused kept insisting on being intimate each time they met. The complainant then reported the matter to the boarding master, the documents revealed.
The sixth count alleges that Lunga openly discussed his sexual orientation with an 18-year-old complainant, telling him he had a list of students he wished to have sexual intercourse with, and that the complainant was on it.
“The accused asked the complainant to choose between playing a male and female role, and the complainant said he would rather be a male. The accused told the complainant that he had feelings for him and he wanted to have sexual intercourse with him, which the complainant denied. The accused then asked the complainant for his shoe size, and upon hearing it, claimed that the shoe size determined the size of his manhood. He then expressed his desire to be intimate with the complainant.
“The accused informed his friend. On May 29, 2025, the complainant revealed the issue to the boarding master who escorted him to the police to report the matter.”
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson, Mr Taungana Ndoro, confirmed in an earlier report that Lunga has been suspended pending investigation. He stated that the ministry acted swiftly, suspending the teacher immediately after the allegations surfaced.
Sources at Milton High School allege that Lunga had sodomised several learners, buying their silence with cash and food items. So far, nine learners are said to have come forward, though the actual number is believed to be much higher. The sources indicated that Lunga primarily targeted Form One and Two students or newcomers to the school.
It is also alleged that Lunga had previously been transferred from Magwegwe High School under unclear circumstances, raising questions about past concerns.
This incident marks the third reported case within three months involving inappropriate same-sex relationships between teachers and learners. Recently, a teaching practice student from Hillside Teachers’ College at Townsend High School was removed near the end of last term after being found in a lesbian relationship with learners, allegedly having multiple sexual partners among them within their shared hostel.
Furthermore, Anymore Gumbo, deputy head of Masase High School, is currently evading authorities following allegations of sodomising more than 35 pupils. Gumbo reportedly lured students to his office where the assaults took place. This school, run by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Zimbabwe (ELCZ), initiated police investigations in April after community complaints.
