CIO orders Hurungwe teachers out of houses

via CIO orders Hurungwe teachers out of houses – NewsDay Zimbabwe May 13, 2015 by Nunurai Jena

SEVERAL school heads in Hurungwe West constituency have been ordered to provide accommodation facilities for State security agents deployed in the area to drum up support for Zanu PF candidate Keith Guzah, a leading teachers’ union claimed yesterday.

Guzah is contesting the seat against independent candidate and former MP, Temba Mliswa, in the June 10 by-election.

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Raymond Majongwe described the directive as illegal as it would disrupt the learning environment.

“Yes, headmasters were given instructions to accommodate people believed to be CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation) operatives at schools and information coming from our members on the ground indicates that security agents have been deployed to some schools displacing teachers from their houses, a situation that is unpleasant,” Majongwe said.

Majongwe urged the candidates and their supporters to hold their campaign programmes outside school premises.

“Who would want to work under such an intimidating environment? Zanu PF and Mliswa must take their fight off school premises.”

Sources said the three-member teams comprising a soldier, police officer and CIO operative had been seconded to each of the 19 Zanu PF campaign teams. The sources said the security agents were identifying themselves as Champion Farmers, a term used to mislead the public into believing they were government agricultural experts.

Some of the schools affected include Nyamhunga, Chiroti and Matau primary schools and Zvimonja Secondary School.

Contacted for comment, Mashonaland West provincial education director Sylvester Mashayamombe said he was unaware that State security agents had been deployed at schools.