by Bevan Musoko

There was pandemonium and despondency at Amai Mugabe High School in Mazowe yesterday when the former First Lady directed that all staff members whose children had been offered places to study at the school for free should pay US$900 or withdraw their children.

In a bid to entice qualified and hardworking teachers, Amai Mugabe High School head, Johannes Chin’onzo, had offered headhunted teachers free learning for their children at the up-market school, resulting in many teachers resigning from their previous schools to join the Mazowe based school. They came with their children who enrolled at the school. They also bought school uniforms which are reportedly expensive.

It was only yesterday that Grace, who is now based at the Mugabes family rural homestead in Zvimba, directed that all those teachers and other staff members who were enjoying the benefit should either pay US$900 fees or withdraw their children.

Stung by the directive, sources at the school said the teachers demanded to be addressed by the school’s administration. They camped in the staff room for over two hours while Chin’onzo refused to address them. They eventually dispersed without having been addressed.

A teacher who spoke to Harare Post on condition of anonymity accused the former First Lady of being insensitive to their plight.

 “We were offered these benefits as an enticement to join her school. We resigned from our jobs in Government and others from other private schools, only to be told to pay US$900 per term. Where does she expect us to get that kind of money when she pays us $3500 bond? She is heartless,” fumed the teacher.

There are fears that Chin’onzo may resign given the breaking down relationship with the former First Lady.

Other sources at the school disclosed that it was increasingly becoming unsustainable for the school to run on fees paid by the dwindled number of students.

Grace Mugabe has around 250 orphans who are studying for free at the Junior and High schools. Over and above these orphans, children of staff members offered the benefit of non-payment of fees were adding to the burden of running costs.

Efforts to get a comment from the school head or the former First Lady were fruitless.