By Simbarashe Sithole
THERE was pandemonium at Shamva Primary School on Wednesday when angry parents besieged the school after their children had been sent back home due to water cuts.
Shamva town is currently battling water shortages.
The angry parents accused teachers of accessing water while disadvantaging their children.
When NewsDay visited the school, the parents said teachers were being given special preference in accessing water, while lessons had been cancelled.
“We are not happy with the teachers here. How can they surely stop classes and turn back our children home on the pretext that there is no water in their homes, when, in fact, they get first preference on fetching water, which they misuse watering flowers. We demand the opening of the school now since we paid fees. They have a hidden agenda, but it will not work,” a parent, Givemore Muroyiwa fumed.
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School head Edson Chure said the closure was precipitated by residents who started denying teachers access to water.
“The problem now is these residents are now denying teachers access to water. At first, there was no problem because we got first preference access, but now tables have turned, hence we cannot work without such a basic need,” he said.
Ward 29 councillor Gerald Nyakurerwa said he had since formed a water committee to help negotiate with the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to supply enough water to the 4 000 Shamva residents.
“I formed a water committee to help negotiate with Zinwa and we have done most of the ground work to have all the 4 000 residents get sufficient water,” he said. Shamva water woes began a few months ago after Shamva Mine was placed under care and maintenance.