Council closes Bazezuru initiation school

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Thursday September 8, 2011 00:00

While the council maintains that the school was illegally operating, the Bazezuru religion followers view the move as an affront on their culture and religious practices.

Indications are that the council learnt about the 'school' after the Department of Primary Education raised concern about the declining enrolments in the Botshabelo primary schools.

When delivering the council's Urban Development report recently, Economic Planner Khumiso Higgins said consultation by the Primary Education office revealed that some children travel to Zimbabwe with their parents for church gatherings while others went to an illegally operated Bazezuru school. 'This school was operating from a pastor's home and had 24 school-going children aged between five and 15 years'.

Higgins said investigations revealed that the school had been operating since 2002, did not have a syllabus and the teacher was an illegal immigrant from Zimbabwe. He also indicated that class teaching was conducted from 7.30 am to midday, while in the afternoon pupils were taken for practical work in handicrafts. 'The school fee per month was P50, there were no meals provided in the school and no certificates were awarded to graduates. The school was closed down and parents were told to register their children in government schools,' he said.

Higgins also said 14 of the 24 Bazezuru children have been absorbed into four primary schools and Humana People to People has been assigned to trace those children who have not yet been registered at local primary schools.

The school, which the Zezuru Pastor Winston Narbot referred to as just a group study, was meant to groom the Bazezuru children on their culture and traditional practices. He said in their culture they are taught survival skills from an early age. 'That is why you never see our members begging or queuing for jobs. We would rather create jobs ourselves,' he said. Narbot said they would impart their culture to the children in the morning everyday and in the afternoon children would disperse to learn various trades. He said they do not view this as child exploitation but a culture that ensures they do not become a burden to government but become self-reliant.

He indicated that their culture loses value with time as they now have some of their religious members enrolled on government assistance programme though it is against their tradition as it breeds laxity.

Narbot, who is also Bazezuri religion spokesperson, said they have sadly decided to dispense with the group study because they do not want to be seen to be fighting the government. He had offered his house for the group study and any free pastor could come and teach the children. He said his attempts to council recognition hit a snag as he was told that there is no licence for a group study. He dismissed allegations that they had an illegal immigrant teacher who has since been deported.

He said after they were ordered to close down some parents enrolled their children into government schools. He maintains that the group study was very beneficial in that even those who have exceeded school going age were taught. 'We have lost hope with efforts to preserve our culture because the authorities here do not seem to understand how much we value it. We have no choice but to follow the law,' he said