Zimbabwe court orders top school to be reopened

HARARE – A Zimbabwe court on yesterday ordered the reopening of one of the country’s top private schools, among 46 institutions closed by the government for hiking tuition fees without official permission.

Justice Susan Mavhangira issued the order following an urgent application by lawyers for the parents and teachers of Hartmann House Preparatory School in Harare. “By consent an order is granted by the terms sought,” said Mavhangira.State lawyer Farai Ruzive said the government had agreed to grant the request sought by the parents and teachers to reopen the school.The order included a request for the school to be reopened and its closure by the education minister on Tuesday be “declared null and void.”The court victory by the school may open up the floodgates for similar court action by other schools affected by the closure order.Around 30 000 children enrolled at the 46 private schools Tuesday either found their schools closed or were turned away by police on what was supposed to be the first day of the mid-year term.Education Minister Aeneas Chigwedere Tuesday condemned the fee hikes as “racist”.”We are dealing with racist schools.They are all former white schools — all racist,” Chigwedere told state television.”They throw Africans out simply by hiking fees.”Chigwedere said the schools had breached the Education Act by hiking fees by more than the stipulated amount of 10 per cent per year.- Nampa-AFP”By consent an order is granted by the terms sought,” said Mavhangira.State lawyer Farai Ruzive said the government had agreed to grant the request sought by the parents and teachers to reopen the school.The order included a request for the school to be reopened and its closure by the education minister on Tuesday be “declared null and void.”The court victory by the school may open up the floodgates for similar court action by other schools affected by the closure order.Around 30 000 children enrolled at the 46 private schools Tuesday either found their schools closed or were turned away by police on what was supposed to be the first day of the mid-year term.Education Minister Aeneas Chigwedere Tuesday condemned the fee hikes as “racist”.”We are dealing with racist schools.They are all former white schools — all racist,” Chigwedere told state television.”They throw Africans out simply by hiking fees.”Chigwedere said the schools had breached the Education Act by hiking fees by more than the stipulated amount of 10 per cent per year.- Nampa-AFP