The victimisation of teachers started in May after Vice President Msika teachers of backing the MDC and stated that they should not be retained as polling officers during the general elections. Other party officials also accused the teachers of being members of MDC and of using to their classrooms to promote the MDC. According to one report Mashonaland Central Governor, Border Gezi, openly declared that if teachers want to become politicians they should expect to receive "political treatment". The Minister of Justice, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was also having accused teachers of "polluting the minds" of young people.

These statements were taken by the violent gangs of Zanu (PF) supporters as authorisation to engage in a campaign of terror against rural teachers. The teachers were targets because they seen as being supporters of the MDC and because of their important role in the community they were seen as being able to mobilize and influence people. Known or suspected to be members of the MDC have been attacked. The objective the campaign is to drive teachers out of the rural areas so to remove their influence.

Teachers have been physically assaulted, some in front of their pupils. Some female teachers have been raped. Many threats of violence have been made against teachers. Classes have been disrupted by veterans summoning all students and teachers for political "re-education" sessions. Teachers have been forced to attend rallies.

Large numbers rural teachers have fled from their schools and have taken refuge in the towns and cities. The violence against teachers has been concentrated in the provinces of Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and Midlands but schools in the provinces of Matabeleland North and South and Masvingo province have also been affected.

On 5 June the head of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association, Leonard Nkala, and Munyaradze said it was difficult to trace many of the teachers because they were nervous of being followed. Nkala said some schools had not opened this term because of insecurity, while human rights activists said that ruling party supporters and independence war veterans behind the farm occupations had accused teachers of indoctrinating students, and frequently summoned pupils and teaches for "re-education" sessions. Many teachers had been beaten or humiliated in front of their pupils, and many had gone into hiding.

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe has condemned the attacks as "unwarranted, barbaric and nefarious" and blame them on the government. "Top government officials have publicly attacked and condemned teachers in the media. This has directly led to violence against teachers in the form of physical attacks in schools, rapes, destruction of teachers' property and closure of schools," the union said.

Reports of attacks upon teachers include the following:

Mashonaland Central
Teachers were severely beaten and lessons disrupted at Centenary Secondary School, Chikwirandaombera Primary School, Chikwidibe Primary School, Binga Rural Secondary School, Bindura Primary School, Chipindura High School, and Chinhamora primary and secondary schools. Teaching staff were also targeted at Chimfombo Primary School, Chipangura Secondary School, Chidewu Primary School, Chitsungo Mission, Gakwe Primary School and Chimanikire Primary School in the Guruve area.

Mashonaland East
The worst affected area was Mudzi where nearly all the teaching staff at Chimukoko primary and secondary schools had been severely beaten up in the past three weeks. It is reported that fifteen teachers were beaten two of whom were beaten unconscious.The veterans had forced the closure of Chimukoko Clinic so injured teachers would not receive treatment.

There had also been attacks on staff at Mnamba Primary School, Dombodzvuku primary and secondary schools, Chemhondoro primary and secondary schools and Nyamazera Primary School. A regional education officers reported that teachers were being harassed and threatened and many had fled from their schools. Mudzi, Mutoko and Murehwa.

Masvingo
In the Mwenezi area Neshuro primary and secondary schools and Mushava primary and secondary schools had been closed as violence intensified and female teachers had been reportedly raped. The veterans have continued demanding the removal of five teachers at Mapanzure Secondary School, 40 kms south of Masvingo, who they accuse of being staunch MDC supporters. Beatings have also taken place at several schools in the Mataga area of Masvingo.

Edmore Hwarare the leader of the war veterans, occupying commercial farms in Masvingo and Midlands provinces threatened teachers with death. He was addressing a meeting between the war veterans and teachers in Masvingo.

Matabeleland
War veterans and their supporters had invaded George Silundika High School in Nyamandlovu and Tsholotsho High School. Most primary schools in Filabusi were temporarily closed for most of the past two weeks as teachers in the area were accused of supporting MDC vice president Gibson Sibanda, who comes from the area.

Chikomba
War veterans and Zanu (PF) supporters are allegedly demanding
$6 000 a month from each teacher in Chikomba District as "protection fees" against the violence their party is accused of fomenting in the area. Teachers said: "This is extortion, but what can we do? The police are reluctant to protect us. Most teachers interviewed said they were concerned about their safety because the war veterans and Zanu PF supporters were beating up people they suspected to be opposition party supporters. "We are the most targeted group," said a primary school teacher at Mudanda.

Robert Chikasha, the district education officer for Chivhu, said 33 teachers had fled Chikomba in the last three weeks because of the violence. Of these, Chikasha said, eight were from Warikandwa and two from primary schools in Sadza, two from Madzivire secondary, one from Chisangano primary and the other from Chisangano Secondary School, one from Mungurawu primary, eight from primary and 10 from secondary schools in Mahusvu. Chikasha said: "There may be more cases because some of them are not coming through our offices. Most of those who have reported to us are back at work. We are encouraging school authorities to facilitate meetings between teachers and parents to find ways to create harmony. Last week, six teachers fled from Madzivire Secondary School after an attack. "Here, you support the opposition at your own peril," said a teacher at St Francis of Assisi. Teachers at Madzivire Secondary School were forced out when a gang of Zanu PF supporters, with whips and knobkerries, descended on the school at night two weeks ago. They inflicted serious injury on three teachers after accusing them of pulling down Hunzvi's campaign poster from the school tuck shop. They threatened to close the school.

Chimanimani
War veterans and other Zanu (PF) supporters took over the town's secondary and primary schools and dragged the teachers from their classrooms. They accused some teachers of being MDC supporters were stripped naked in front of their students. Many were beaten, some unconscious. Several teachers were hospitalised and three headmasters are still missing.

Goromonzi
Teachers fled from Mapfeni primary school after a group of Zanu (PF) youths descended on the school. Parents at the school said they were shocked when the youths arrived in a lorry. One parent said: "These youths were armed with all sorts of weapons. He said one lady teacher failed to escape and was severely beaten.

Mberengwa
About 30 people Zanu (PF) supporters harassed teachers at Mnene primary and secondary schools and abducted of a temporary teacher.

Mutawatawa
The wife of a teacher at Chitimbe Primary School in was allegedly raped by a gang of suspected Zanu (PF) youths. The gang raided the family accusing the teacher of supporting the MDC. The teacher immediately sought a transfer and took his family to Masvingo.

Overall figures
War vets and Zanu (PF) supporters have forced more than 250 primary and secondary schools across the country to close for at least a day or more or have disrupted learning at the schools in the last three weeks. More than 7000 teachers, mainly from schools in rural areas have been forced to flee their schools and move into the towns and cities. (Fingaz 25 May)