Children Raped at Kunonga’s Church Institutions

The ZimEye
November 22, 2012

http://www.zimeye.org/?p=67061


Coltart to investigate abuse of children at schools

The Minister of Education, Art, Sport and Culture, David Coltart is moving in to investigate sexual abuses reported to have taken place at schools and other child institutions that disgraced Bishop Nolbert Kunonga seized from the Anglican church.

Shocking details have emerged of widespread abuse of children at an orphanage and other schools by the dethroned Anglican bishop which have prompted human rights organisations to press for police investigations.

Revealing that a cleansing ceremony would actually be required to ‘drive out demons before the church gets to use its defiled sanctuaries’, bishop Chad Gandiya said that he has received information that children at the Shirley Cripps orphanage were abused.

“The children’s home is very dear to us, last week we received information that children were being abused. The matter was referred to the police and we are happy a person was arrested. There is widespread sexual abuse at the orphanage.”

moving in...David Coltart

Officials say sexual abuses at Shirley Cripps are just a tip of the iceberg judging from the decadence of the moral fibre at institutions that had been in the hands of Kunonga.

David Coltart said his ministry will take stern measures against teachers who have abused children.

“We are certainly going to investigate. We will support the Anglican Church and they should give us any kind of allegation which they have so that we take it to the police commissioner-general. If we find that teachers abused children, then we will punish them severely,” said Coltart.

Deserting children

Another matter of concern has been the lack of coordination in the process of exchanging hands at the various institutions where vulnerable individuals,mainly children are taken care of.

While Anglicans across the country were celebrating their victory, Gandiya expressed concern with the manner in which Kunonga’s supporters have also been deserting premises as they abandon children.

“We are not there to fight anybody. If people are moving out they should inform us so as to ensure that children do not starve,” said Gandiya.

After leaving the Anglican Church, ostensibly over homosexuality, Kunonga an acclaimed supporter of President Robert Mugabe’s policies, went on to replace professionals at the institutions he had seized.

Standards have plummeted with children at the Anglican Church-run schools complaining of abuse while infrastructure is in a sorry state.

Irene Petras Director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said the Human Rights Commission which was recently given teeth after Mugabe signed the Human Rights Bill into law should investigate the matter along with the ministry of Education.

“Children just like everyone else should enjoy their rights. What happened when Kunonga was in charge should be investigated by the ministry of Education because the first mandate of education is to ensure that children develop in a proper environment,”Petras said.

This is something that the Human Rights Commission should also do,” Petras added.

Contacted for comment at the time of writing, police spokesperson Charity Charamba however said she was still in the dark about the matter. (Daily News/ ZimEye)