HARTZELL High School headmaster – Shorwi Kawadza – has been suspended from duty to pave way for investigations into allegations that he sexually abused an orphaned pupil at the school, it has emerged.
Manicaland provincial education director, Mr Edward Shumba, revealed on Wednesday that a probe team from his office will work on the case starting Monday.
“We have suspended Mr Kawadza pending investigations into the sexual abuse case at the school. The purpose of the probe is to see whether he has a case to answer or not and we shall inform you as soon as the team completes its task. The outcome of that probe will determine the disciplinary course we will take.
“I gave instructions last Friday that he be suspended and I was told that he was informed of the position on Tuesday,” said Mr Shumba.
The case took a new twist last week after Kawadza was arrested by the police amid revelations that he was the one who abused the minor but hatched a plan to defeat the course of justice by having senior teacher William Mukwindidza as the accused.
Since the case began Mukwindidza was suspected of sexually abusing the minor and infecting her with a sexually transmitted disease.
However, it later emerged that Mukwindidza was a victim of circumstances as Kawadza (57), allegedly working in cahoots with orphanage staffer Cecilia Thobani (49), derailed investigations in a desperate effort to falsely have Mukwindidza nailed. Information with the police show that on September 23 this year, a case of sexual abuse was reported. It was said to have happened between January and April 2015 and Mukwindidza was named the suspect.
However, on November 24, the police got a tip off that the minor in question had a sexual relationship with the headmaster. Further investigations by the police revealed also authenticated that the headmaster was bedding the minor.
Police discovered that Kawadza influenced the child to accuse Mukwindidza by giving the orphan $40 to name the Mathematics teacher as the perpetrator of the sexual abuse.
The case is pending at the courts. manica post