Robert Blake teachers haunted by witchcraft

BY MIKE CHIPALASA

Sixteen Robert Blake Secondary School teachers in Dowa have asked the ministry of education to transfer them due to cases of witchcraft which are said to be rampant at the school.

In a petition signed by the sixteen and dated July 25, 2007, the teachers have threatened industrial action if the ministry does not intervene before August 19, 2007 when schools reopen.

The petition was copied to Education Secretary for Nkhoma Synod, Board Chairperson and headmaster for the school, sources said.

Those at the school said yesterday that it is suspected that over 30 students were initiated in the art of witcraft during the last term.

One of the teachers claimed there was a woman (name withheld) at the school that was teaching children witchcraft but authorities were reluctant to confront her because she was connected to Nkhoma Synod, owners of the school.

Lately, a teacher’s daughter (name withheld) is said to have broken her leg after falling from a witchcraft ‘plane’ at night because she refused to kill her father.

According to sources, this compelled teachers to convene an impromptu staff meeting last week Wednesday to discuss the matter and the meeting resolved to petition the ministry through the education division office in Kasungu.

Authorities at the school wanted to run a summer teaching programme for forms 2 and 4 but has since cancelled that, one teacher said.

Another teacher said following the staff meeting, teachers asked the headmaster to go to Nkhoma Synod Headquarters on Friday to brief authorities there on the matter.

Headmaster of the school, Samuel Chibwana, confirmed the staff meeting took place but refused to comment on the matter because ‘certain quarters’ were still handling the matter.

He declined to say who these ‘certain quarters’ were.

Education Secretary for Nkhoma Synod, Howard Chimzimu, confirmed the meeting took place at Nkhoma with Chibwana in attendance but could not be drawn to disclose what transpired during the meeting.

Board chair for Robert Blake Secondary School, Reverend Chafulumira Chakhumbira, said he had only heard “on the radio and from some people” about the existence of witchcraft at the school but had no details and was still waiting for Chibwana to furnish him with further information.

Robert Blake Secondary School is a grant-aided institution and is owned by Nkhoma Synod of the CCAP.