Mthwakazi Republic Party

PETITION

The following are the respondents to our petition:-

1) Phakamani High School Headmaster- Nkululeko Vundla

2) Phakamani High School Heritage Studies Teacher - Ms Joana Lunga

3) Phakamani High School School Development Committee

4) Plumtree District Education Office

5 ) Provincial Education Office- Matebeleland South Province

6) Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education- Head Office Harare

7) Zimbabwe School Examination Council ( ZIMSEC)

8) Plumtree Zimbabwe Republic Police ( ZRP) Member in Charge.

9) President Office - Plumtree

10) Heritage Studies Authors: B B Matseketsa

: S Mashaah

: T Masikati

11) Priority Projects Publishing- Number 789 Glen Garry Avenue, Highlands, Harare.

12) Editors: E Muzanenhamo

: E R Manjoro

13) Proof Readers: O Brute

14) DTP & Cover Design:

N Tepa

T Moyana

*CONDEMNING THE GROSS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AT PHAKAMANI HIGH SCHOOL .*

We unequivocally denounce the appalling actions of the Phakamani High School Headmaster Nkululeko Vundla, the Plumtree Police Internal Security and Intelligence (PISI), and the Central Intelligence Officers. Their harassment and blatant violation of 13 innocent students' rights are a gross abuse of power.

These students were detained, interrogated, and subjected to psychological trauma solely for resisting the imposition of Shona propaganda in their Heritage Studies class. This blatant attempt to suppress dissent and impose a dominant culture is a chilling echo of Zimbabwe's dark past.

We demand an immediate end to this persecution, a full investigation into these egregious actions, and accountability for those responsible. The rights of these students must be upheld, and their freedom to learn without indoctrination must be protected.

The Heritage Studies teacher's gross mishandling of the lesson created a toxic environment that forced students to protest. Her failure to foster inclusivity and respect has endangered the lives of these children, exposing them to systemic discrimination and oppression.

Moreover, we vehemently condemn Headmaster Nkululeko Vundla's reckless decision to summon the notorious PISI and CIO units, known for their brutal tactics. This blatant disregard for the students' safety, well-being and rights is unacceptable. Headmaster Vundla's egregious decision to circumvent internal disciplinary procedures and disregard parental engagement exposes his glaring inadequacy as a school leader and guardian of children's welfare. His actions demonstrate a shocking absence of accountability, compassion, and responsible leadership

We explicitly demand swift and decisive action to safeguard the students' fundamental rights and protect them from the gross misconduct of reckless school administrators and state-sponsored intimidation. Those responsible for this appalling abuse of power must be held accountable for their actions, and justice must be served

We demand that:

1. The Heritage Studies teacher undergoes comprehensive re-training on inclusive teaching practices, cultural sensitivity, and effective classroom management skills.

2. Headmaster Nkululeko Vundla be held accountable for his actions and receives disciplinary action for violating the students' rights.

3. The Plumtree PISI be investigated for their role in harassing and intimidating the students.

4. The students receive counselling and support to recover from their traumatic experience.

We stand in solidarity with the students and demand that their rights be respected and protected.

A recent and ongoing incident at Phakamani High School in Plumtree has exposed the systemic tribal oppression act perpetrated by the Government of Zimbabwe. On Wednesday, January 29th, at 15:40 pm, a courageous group of 13 Form Four students, including Methias Moyo and Ronald Mthethwa, staged a bold protest against their Heritage Studies teacher, Ms. Joana Lunga. The students stood up against Ms. Lunga's blatant bias and promotion of Shona language and culture as superior, which sparked widespread dissatisfaction and outrage among the learners. This incident highlights the pervasive problem of cultural insensitivity and tribalism in Zimbabwe's education system, where non-Shona students are often marginalized and forced to assimilate into a dominant Shona culture.

A peaceful student protest was violently quashed, sparking widespread outrage. School head Nkululeko Vundla's actions exacerbated the situation, detaining students in his office for interrogation and inexplicably involving state agents from the Plumtree Police Internal Security and Intelligence (PISI). These agents subjected the students to improper and intimidating interrogations, putting their lives at risk of political harassment, segregation, discrimination, and oppression.

This incident raises disturbing parallels with historical events, such as the Soweto Uprising on June 16 in 1976, where students marched against unequal education, only to be met with brutal force. Similarly, the suppression of student protests in Nazi Germany, as seen with the White Rose resistance, highlights the dangers of unchecked state power. The students' rights to peaceful assembly and free speech, as protected by the First Amendment, were grossly violated.

This occurrence raises disturbing questions about the safety and well-being of students in Zimbabwe, particularly those from marginalized communities. It's imperative that authorities take immediate action to protect these students and ensure that their rights are respected.

This alarming event highlights a disturbing trend of suppressing student voices and dissenting opinions. It is unacceptable that students are being subjected to such treatment, and it is imperative that their rights and safety are protected.

The students are now being tormented, harassed, and subjected to unending interrogations and detentions for unspecific reasons. This is a clear violation of their rights and freedoms. The school head's failure to provide protection to the learners, despite being mandated to do so under the loco-parentis legal provision, is alarming.

Fellow Mthwakazian parents and all countrymen, our children's future is being ravaged by the very system that is meant to educate and uplift them. The 1979 Shona Grand Plan's insidious tentacles have infiltrated our schools, poisoning the minds of our young ones through a forced curriculum that erases their cultural identity and forces them to assimilate into a foreign Shona language and culture. Our children are being brainwashed into believing that their heritage is inferior, that being a Kalanga, Ndebele/Nguni, Venda, Sotho, Nambya, Tonga or Xhosa is a curse rather than a blessing. The politics of divide and rule is destroying our dignity, pride, and heritage. We are losing our children to a system that seeks to erase our very existence.

The Great South African leader once wrote that, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Children of today are the leaders of tomorrow and education is a very important weapon to prepare children for their future roles as leaders of the community." ~ (Nelson Mandela, February 1990).

The deliberate misrepresentation of facts in the imposition of Shona ideologies on school syllabuses in Matabeleland schools, crafted at the ZanuPF's Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology, raises concerns about the Zimbabwean government's implementation of the 1979 Shona Grand Plan. The sinister plan underway threatens to erode the intellectual foundations of the Matabele people, aligning eerily with Nathan M. Shamuyarira's doctrine, which chillingly envisioned the systematic destruction of the Matabele nation. By designing a curriculum that indoctrinates students and renders them intellectually impotent, this plan undermines the very fabric of Matabele identity and paves the way for a future where the community's cultural heritage and autonomy are irreparably compromised.

We must not forget what Nathan Shamuyarira once stated in the 1979 Grand Plan “the only way to weaken the Ndebele is to deprive him of an education.” Shona is taught in all teachers’ colleges countrywide but Ndebele is confined to Matabeleland colleges and pressure must continue to be applied to limit the teaching of Ndebele to those few who happen to be enrolled”. ~ (Nathan M. Shamuyarira)

As parents, WE MUST RISE UP AND TAKE A STAND to protect our children's rights, as enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013), particularly Section 51, which guarantees the rights of children, and Section 81, which ensures the right to education. We can no longer afford to sit idly by while our children's cultural identities are erased, their languages suppressed, and their heritage denied.

WE MAKE A FORCEFUL AND UNEQUIVOCAL DEMAND for the immediate removal and ban of all forced tribal and culturally biased educational school literature, including HERITAGE STUDIES school textbooks that perpetuate the forced teaching and learning of Shona heritage to all students in all school grades up to tertiary level in all provinces in Matabeleland and Midlands. This discriminatory and insensitive curriculum is a blatant violation of our children's right to education, as enshrined in the Education Act (Chapter 25:04) (1996), and a blatant disregard for the cultural diversity and heritage of our nation.

WE FURTHER DEMAND the IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL of the Heritage Studies Examination Paper from the current and future examination schedule in Zimbabwe and particularly Matabeleland schools. We refuse to allow our children to be forced to write an examination that perpetuates cultural bias, erases their cultural identities, and denies them their rightful place in Zimbabwe's rich cultural tapestry.

We DEMAND that the Zimbabwean Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr. Torerai Moyo to take immediate action to:

- Withdraw and ban all heritage studies school textbooks that promote Shona heritage as the dominant culture

- Develop and implement a new, inclusive curriculum that celebrates and promotes the cultural diversity and heritage of all Zimbabwean communities

- Ensure that all educational materials be authored and published by all eligible Zimbabweans considering their geographical location and be free from cultural bias and prejudice and promote the values of diversity, inclusivity, and tolerance

WE WILL NO LONGER TOLERATE an education system that erases our children's cultural identities, forces them to assimilate into a foreign SHONA language and culture, and denies them their rightful place in Zimbabwe's rich cultural tapestry. We demand justice, equality, and inclusivity in our education system, and we demand it NOW!

As parents, WE HAVE A SACRED RESPONSIBILITY to protect our children's rights, as reinforced by international human rights law, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (1989) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) (1990).

WE CALL UPON ALL PARENTS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, and HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS to join us in this fight for our children's rights.

WE WILL NO LONGER BE SILENCED. WE WILL NO LONGER BE IGNORED. WE WILL RISE UP AND FIGHT FOR OUR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS!

The recent actions of Phakamani High School authorities, which led to the detention and interrogation of 13 students protesting against the imposition of Shona language and culture, are a stark reminder of the radical measures taken by South African student activists at the Soweto Uprising on June 16, 1976. On that historic day, students took to the streets to protest against the imposition of Afrikaans in their education system, a move that was widely seen as an attempt to suppress their cultural identity.

In Zimbabwe, the actions of Phakamani High School authorities are a clear violation of international human rights law. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (1989) guarantees the right to education (Article 28) and the right of the child to preserve his or her cultural identity, language, and values (Article 30). Similarly, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) (1990) reinforces these rights, particularly Article 11, which ensures the right to education, and Article 16, which protects the child's cultural identity.

The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the actions of Phakamani High School authorities and the Zimbabwean government's continued disregard for the rights of the Mthwakazi people, particularly children. The MRP demands that the government takes immediate action to address these grievances and ensure that the rights of all children in Zimbabwe are protected.

In light of these constitutional and international provisions, we must rise up and demand a better future for our children, one that celebrates our diversity, promotes inclusivity, and respects their cultural heritage. We will no longer tolerate an education system that erases our children's cultural identity, forces them to assimilate into a foreign language and culture, and denies them their rightful place in Zimbabwe's rich cultural tapestry.

We owe it to ourselves, our children, and future generations to take a stand against this oppressive system. Let us unite and fight for our children's right to a culturally relevant education, one that nurtures their minds, bodies, and spirits. The future of our nation depends on it.

Demands:

Together, WE DEMAND:

i. An inclusive education system that respects and promotes our children's cultural identities and languages

ii. An end to the forced assimilation of our children into a foreign language and culture

iii. The recognition and celebration of our children's heritage and cultural diversity

iv. Total ban and exclusion of this year’s Zimsec Ordinary Level Heritage Studies paper from the examinations schedule ( Both June and November 2025 Final Examinations)

v. Withdraw and ban all heritage studies school textbooks at all schooling levels that promote Shona heritage as the dominant culture

vi. Develop and implement a new, inclusive curriculum that celebrates and promotes the cultural diversity and heritage of all Zimbabwean communities

vii. Ensure that all educational materials be authored and published by all eligible Zimbabweans considering their geographical location and be free from cultural bias and prejudice and promote the values of diversity, inclusivity, and tolerance

viii. Develop and implement policies that promote the teaching of Matabeleland and Midlands indigenous languages and cultures in Matabeleland and Midlands schools and all its educational institutions.

ix. Ensure the deployment of appropriate Matabeleland indigenous language teachers and lecturers in Matabeleland and Midlands schools and educational institutions.

x. The Heritage Studies teacher undergoes comprehensive re-training on inclusive teaching practices, cultural sensitivity, and effective classroom management skills

xi. Headmaster Nkululeko Vundla be held accountable for his actions and receives disciplinary action for violating the students' rights.

xii. The Plumtree PISI be investigated for their role in harassing and intimidating the students.

xiii. The students receive counselling and support to recover from their traumatic experience.

Timeline:

We expect a response and action plan from the relevant authorities within 7 working days of submitting this petition.

Consequences of inaction:

Failure to address these concerns will result in further marginalization of indigenous minority languages and cultures. We will be forced to explore other avenues, including legal action, to protect the Matabeleland indigenous languages and cultures.

We, the undersigned, hereby sign this petition in support of the demands outlined herein above.

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