Ezra Tshisa Sibanda wrote: Plumtree Police refused to sanction a fundraising Dinner Gala for Beacon Hill Primary school in Plumtree. The event was scheduled for Friday 28 June 2024. In a shocking decision which has surprised the school and parents, the Officer In Charge of Plumtree Police Station wrote to the school and said their objection is “premised on security reasons and other reasons that are of national interest”. This is unbelievable sad, surely what security and national interest are they talking about? How does all that have to do with a private school dinner gala? The police have failed to explain their statement and what exactly they mean. I’m interested in knowing what they mean by “national interest”. The Government of Zimbabwe has always been clear that they support such initiatives for people who bring development in their communities.
Beacon Hill is a private primary school which was founded and established by a US based Zimbabwean lady Sikhululekile Bhoboza Sibanda who funded it from her savings. Since arriving in the USA in 2019, Sikhu worked hard to raise money to build the school taking up 3 jobs for 5 years and never gave up on her vision of building a school for her community. The school has nearly 150 learners from ECD A to Grade 5.
In her quest to build more classrooms and develop her school to go up to grade 7, she started fundraising activities. She organised a dinner function for parents of children learning in the school to help with fundraising. The event was scheduled to be held in a secure school venue, it was meant to be a ticket only event and closed to the public. Then comes Plumtree Police acting against development and advised the school to host their dinner gala during the day not 6pm to 10pm as if there is curfew in that town. How do you do host a dinner gala during the day, perhaps the Plumtree cops don’t know what a dinner is. They went on to say the event should be held between “sunset and sunrise”. They don’t know what they are talking about. Sunset to sunrise is not day but all night mapholisa.
The law requires organisations planning to hold public meetings to inform the police and, in most cases, green light is given especially if such a gathering is for a small group of people. This was not an organisation doing this dinner neither was it meeting. This was a school event for God sake and such action by Plumtree Police is a clear abuse of authority. The behaviour of the Plumtree police soils the good name of other Zimbabwe Republic Police officers doing a professional job and working well with communities. The school should take legal action against the officer in charge and must approach the Government to raise their frustration, disappointment and bad treatment from ZRP Plumtree.
The same Plumtree Police Force has ignored mushrooming churches around the town preaching and singing all night long making so much noise with high powered PA systems. The same police force has failed to stop people drinking publicly in the streets of this town and the same police force has failed to stop criminal activities including drug taking and substance misuse by youths in this town. The school lost almost US$4000 in food which they had bought and prepared for the attendees because of the trigger-happy Plumtree ZRP bosses. People who bought tickets now have to be refunded by the school and it now has to count its losses. It’s sad and painful for kids, parents and the school #ezratshisa4life Zimbabwe Republic Police – ZRP
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