By a Correspondent
A teacher at St Davids Girls High School Bonda in Mutasa District, Manicaland Province, is on the run after being implicated in an alleged sexual misconduct case involving a female student.
According to an internal investigation report released by the school’s administration, security personnel at the school received a tip-off on the evening of June 21 that a female student had entered a teacher’s personal vehicle and had been taken to the educator’s residence.
The security officers reportedly followed the vehicle and later intercepted it after the student was seen leaving the teacher’s house and returning to the vehicle.
School authorities at the Anglican Church-run institution say the student was immediately taken into protective custody and escorted to the headmaster’s office, while the accused educator allegedly fled the scene before he could be questioned.
According to the report, preliminary investigations revealed an inappropriate sexual relationship between the teacher and the student.
The matter was immediately reported to the police, who have opened a criminal investigation. In Zimbabwe, romantic relationships between male teachers and female students are widely condemned and strictly prohibited. These interactions are legally defined as statutory rape and sexual abuse, as the age of consent is 18 and the teacher holds a position of power and authority.
The school administration said the student was referred for medical assessment and trauma support, while parents, education authorities and the School Development Committee were informed of the incident.
In the report, the school described the alleged conduct as a serious breach of child safeguarding policies, professional ethics and national laws.
Authorities have since notified the Ministry of Primary and secondary Education to begin suspension and deregistration procedures against the teacher.
The accused teacher remains at large, with law enforcement agencies pursuing him. Meanwhile, Bonda Girls High School says it is reviewing security measures at the institution, strengthening counselling services and reactivating its Child Protection Committee as part of efforts to safeguard learners at the all girls’ school.
Police have not yet publicly released the identity of the suspect, as investigations are still in progress. Official reports consistently point to a deeply concerning prevalence, particularly affecting vulnerable adolescent girls.
