Suburban
Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
GREENDALE residents have aired their disquiet over the alleged sexual harassment of girls learning at Courtney Selous Primary School who use public transport.
It is alleged that the Courteny Selous Primary School pupils who use public transport to and from Mabvuku are being subjected to abuse.
Commuter omnibus and pirate taxis touts commonly known as “MaHwindi” are being accused of preying on the little girls and sexually abusing them.
Alarmed by this sad state of affairs, the Greendale Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) made efforts to intervene and halt the violation of the students.
Last week’s meeting of the GRRA heard that the residents’ association approached the head of Courtney Selous Primary School to address the matter.
“There is great concern about alleged sexual harassment of Courtney Selous (Primary) School girls by ‘hwindis’ on the commuter omnibuses,” reads the education report presented to the GRRA meeting.
The GRRA’s subcommittee on education compiled the report which stated that the committee engaged the headmaster of Courtney Selous Primary School to see if was possible to organise ZUPCO buses to ferry children home to Mabvuku after school.
However, the option to organise ZUPCO was deemed not practical as the children concerned are out of the school’s recruitment zone which includes Greendale, Mandara, Athlone and surrounding areas given it is located in Greendale.
The meeting that the issue will be raised with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to explore ways of protecting the girl child.
The education sub-commitee is also making efforts to engage the owner of the land zoned for a school at the corner of Latimer and Harare Drive to sell the land back to the City of Harare so that it can be used for its intended purpose.
Participants at the meeting were also that the education committee is looking into allegations of corruption in the allocation of a piece of land earmarked for the extension of school grounds at another school in the area.
The GRRA meeting was held at Abbey’s Preparatory School in Greendale where Ward 9 residents were updated on the association’s work in terms of service delivery and other community issues.
Last year in October, a suspected pedophile was believed to be on the prowl in the Greendale area targeting school children at the two primary schools in the suburb Courtney Selous and Greengrove, according to a security alert circulated among residents.
Parents were urged to be on high alert and always check on their children to prevent more children falling victim to the suspect.
“Please be advised and on high alert that there have been reports of a pervert/pedophile stalking school children in the area,” read the security alert.
It described the suspect as a white male driving a white double cab truck although the make of the car was not stated. He was allegedly being spotted with his cellphone taking pictures and or videos and was said to be wearing a T-shirt and shorts (possibly boxers).
The man was alleged to be offering money to the children and flashing his private parts to the little ones walking home from school.
Two parents shared with fellow residents on the Greendale residents’ platforms that their daughters had had an encounter with the suspected pedophile.
One of the parents said her daughter and her friend encountered the suspect who was standing by the door of his white twin cab wearing a skimpy short almost underwear and a T-shirt.
The suspect got out of his car and exposed his private parts to the two little girls who ran off and got home traumatised by the incident. The girl is in Grade 5 at Courtney Primary School.
The parent urged residents to educate their children on what to do in risky situations and make them aware to stay away from strangers.
Should they encounter the alleged offender they must:
- Cross over the street and go to the nearest gate and knock or ring the gate bell
- Make noise
- If the offender persists, blow a whistle or scream
- Report to an adult they know and trust
Another resident said his wife said her friend’s children who go to Greengrove Primary School also encountered the same suspect who seemed to be targeting the two schools.
