Police Hunt Deputy Headmaster Accused of Sodomising Over 35 Pupils at Masase High School
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has launched a manhunt for a deputy headmaster accused of sodomising over 35 pupils at Masase High School in Mberengwa.
Police Hunt Deputy Headmaster Accused of Abusing Over 35 Pupils
The accused, Anywhere Gumbo, reportedly fled the school on Friday, 4 April, after police arrived to investigate the allegations. Gumbo, who worked at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Zimbabwe (ELCZ)-run school, is still on the run.
Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, the spokesperson for the Midlands provincial police, confirmed that Gumbo has not been arrested yet. Sources say that Gumbo lured pupils to his office where he sexually abused them. The police, along with officials from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, visited the school after receiving an anonymous tip-off.
“The police and officials from the Ministry of Education have been on the ground after they received an anonymous letter from one of the teachers over the issue,” said a source.
Tight Reporting Policies Prevent Early Disclosure
According to reports, the abuse had been going on for some time but was not reported earlier due to the headmaster’s strict reporting policy.
“The school head has a very tight policy which requires pupils to talk to him if they want to report anything, and this has seen the majority of the pupils being sodomised in silence,” said a parent whose child is among the victims.
Accusations of Cover-Up and Headmaster’s Response
Some parents and teachers have also accused Mr. Albion Masukume of trying to cover up the abuse. In a letter to parents, Mr. Masukume confirmed that the allegations had been reported but denied any involvement.
“I write with sorrow to inform you that allegations of child abuse by one of our staff members were reported. Currently, thorough investigations by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the police are underway,” he said in the letter.