CHEGUTU – Bryden Country School in Chegutu is locked in a fierce legal battle against Chinese-owned Shuntai Holdings over the construction of a lime and cement factory just 497 metres from the school boundary, with parents, teachers and education leaders warning of dire health and environmental consequences for pupils.
In a circular to parents last week, the school’s Board of Governors detailed a timeline of events since February, when Shuntai first informed Bryden of its plans. Despite resistance from the school, parents, and other stakeholders, construction has pressed ahead — in open defiance of a High Court order suspending work at the site.
“We found there was no supporting documentation for Shuntai to operate in this Zone earmarked for Education,” the letter reads, pointing out that Springs of Grace, the Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School and University are also within the affected area.
The school says it raised multiple objections to Shuntai’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report, which it claims failed to address health and safety concerns. Despite this, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) issued the company a certificate in April, forcing Bryden to sue the regulator. The High Court subsequently ordered EMA to release the documents underlying the certification, but they turned out to be the same contested report.
Meanwhile, parents and pupils have endured worsening conditions at the school, including clouds of dust, noxious fumes, loud blasting and heavy machinery noise.
On July 25, a High Court judge personally visited the site and later ruled that Shuntai was in contempt of the original stop-work order. But despite the ruling, construction has continued, the school said.
Former education minister David Coltart slammed the developments, calling the situation “simply outrageous.”
“How can we allow one of our finest schools to be threatened in this manner by a Chinese company which will rape our resources, expend them all, shift their profits to China and then move back to China to enjoy them — all while one of our finest educational institutions is destroyed?” Coltart said.
“This must stop. We need firm Government action to end this thuggery.”
Bryden’s board has urged parents to rally behind the school in its legal fight, warning that the future of generations of learners is at stake.
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