Harare (New Ziana)-A private school teacher in the capital was on Friday arrested for assaulting one of his learners after a video of him committing the offence went viral on social media.

In the widely circulated video, Michael Freeman Chingwaru (39), a Mathematics teacher at Harare Einstein Tuition Centre, is seen assaulting the student with clenched fists and whip while the rest of the class watched.

Many people condemned the attack as inhuman while others piled pressure to have the teacher arrested.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of Michael Freeman Chingwaru (39), a maths teacher for assaulting a student (18) at the same institution on 14 October 2021 at 1030 hours.

“The lower sixth student was found in the Ordinary level class watching some movies during lesson time and ordered to go to his class.

“Instead, he went to a Biology classroom and coincidentally met the same teacher where a harsh exchange of words occurred resulting in the teacher assaulting the complainant. School authorities are urged to ensure that peace prevails in learning institutions at all times,” the police said.

The issue of corporal punishment in schools and homes has remained unresolved since 2015 when the Supreme Court deferred indefinitely, proceedings to confirm a High Court judgement outlawing the practice.

Chief Justice Luke Malaba said parents and teachers could continue beating up children as a disciplinary measure since the landmark High Court judgement on corporal punishment only dealt with the constitutionality of canning juvenilles as judicial punishment.

“There is no need to address the issue of spanking in the home or at school because what should have been done in the High Court is to determine the constitutionality of corporal punishment as a sentence,” he said.

In light of the impasse on the issue, the school teacher can only be charged with assault and not for flouting the law on corporal punishment.

New Ziana