Teachers threaten to flee Mansa school over witchcraft

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Mabumba High day school,
Many children live a long way from school and prefer to rent accommodation nearby. Grade 12 pupil Dorcas, 17, stopped attending the Mabumba High day school, about 20km east of provincial capital Mansa, after becoming pregnant. She said: “We were staying the three of us [girls], then we started sharing the house with three guys and that is how we paired ourselves. We just wanted some form of emotional support; life is really tough out there. So, the whole of last year we were living together with the guys and would have [unprotected] sex almost every night but everything was OK.” ~ Dorcas. Photo Credit - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)

TEACHERS at Kasamba Primary School in Bahati constituency in Mansa have threatened to abandon the school for fear of alleged witchcraft.
The teachers have packed their belongings in readiness to leave if some residents allegedly continue practicing witchcraft.

This came to light yesterday when Bahati Patriotic Front (PF) member of Parliament Harry Kalaba visited the school to inspect development projects.
The teachers have complained of having sleepless nights and nightmares due to the alleged witchcraft.
“Us women sometimes wake up and find ourselves naked with semen on our private parts while underwear and night dresses are found on the floor.
“We are having sleepless nights and this will force us to leave and some people in the community are not helping us when we complain about this,” they said.
But Mr Kalaba, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs, advised the teachers against leaving the school.
He appealed to the community to work with the teachers to ensure that the school is not closed.
And Mr Kalaba has appealed to parents in Bahati to stop marrying off their children at a tender age.
He said it is sad that some parents have continued to marry off their children at a tender age instead of waiting for them to finish school.
“We want these children to finish school so that they can contribute effectively to the development of the country.
“Any parent who forces his or her girl child into marriage will be arrested because the law does not allow this and Government is on high alert when it comes to this matter,” Mr Kalaba said.
Meanwhile, Mishingo Primary School head teacher Peter Chitumbi and nine teachers have vowed to abandon the school  within seven days if a suspected wizard who is allegedly using charms to have sex with  female teachers is not removed  from Munsakamba farm block in Mkushi.
Mr Chitumbi said a named church elder has allegedly been having sex with female teachers using charms.
“We are all tired of these bizarre occurrences here we all want to go away and the District Education Board Secretary has been informed. This wizard has been having sex with my wife, female teachers and other staff members’ wives too.” Mr Chitumbi said.
Mkushi North member of Parliament Ingrid Mphande expressed shock with the bizarre incidents at Mishingo Primary School and directed Mkushi district commissioner Luka Mwamba to resolve the problem.
She said Government cannot afford to lose teachers
“I cannot actually believe that such things are still happening because we are a Christian nation and worse the evil acts are being perpetrated by the so called ‘clergyman,” Mrs Mphande said.
Astridah Chisenga, 32, a grade seven teacher said: “We are sexually attacked every night. Sometimes you see a dog or man from waist going upwards. Sometimes a huge bird embraces you all night long, when we check ourselves, we realise someone has sexually abused us because you can see it,” Mrs Chisenga said
Another female teacher, Alice Nhdlovu, 28, said she is fed up and she wants to leave the school
“This place looks simple but at night we cannot sleep, we usually tired and we fail to teach after the attacks because this man does it all night long it is unbelievable so hard to comprehend but it is real.” Ms Ndhlovu said.

Zambia Daily Mail

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