A MTHWAKAZI Republic Party (MRP) activist has been remanded in custody to March 3 in a case where he faces a charge of disorderly conduct.
Mkhululi Jele, who is the MRP national youth chairperson, was arrested after he confronted Phakamani High School authorities on why they were allowing State security agents to interview pupils at the school.
This is after students at the school clashed with their teacher for allegedly misrepresenting the contents of the Heritage Studies curriculum during a lesson.
Jele (34), however, denied the charge of disorderly conduct when he appeared before Plumtree magistrate Aelene Munamati.
He is being represented by Thato Mavula of Dube Legal Practice.
State witnesses gave conflicting statements in court.
Mavula told the court that Jele went to Phakamani High School on January 28 after he received a call from Johan Lunga, a witness and a teacher at the centre of the controversy, to discuss the matter.
Mavula said Jele questioned the headmaster, Nkululeko Vundla, why the school was allowing State security agents to interrogate students in the absence of their parents.
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Lunga confirmed asking Jele to come to the school to discuss the matter.
“The officers interviewed students in my presence and they recorded their particulars. They did not harm any student during the interview,” Lunga said.
But Vundla, however, argued that Jele stormed the school without invitation to cause havoc.
“. . . he started shouting at me saying why was I allowing the students to be interviewed by State security officers without their guardians. I told him to ask for more information from the district education office,” Vundla said.
Another witness, James Moses (45), a police officer who interviewed students, said they went to Phakamani under the instruction of their station commander.
MRP recently petitioned the government, Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council and the international community after flagging what it calls divisive curriculum of the controversial Heritage Studies.
MRP demanded the immediate removal of Heritage Studies examination from current and future examination schedules in Zimbabwe.
