High court outlaws corporal punishment

Zimbabwe’s High Court has outlawed corporal punishment for children both at school and in the home. The ruling comes after a parent complained that her child in grade one, a class for six-year-olds, had deep bruises after a beating by a teacher. Linah Pfungwa said her daughter had been punished for failing to have her […]

Zimbabwe’s High Court has outlawed corporal punishment for children both at school and in the home. The ruling comes after a parent complained that her child in grade one, a class for six-year-olds, had deep bruises after a beating by a teacher.
Linah Pfungwa said her daughter had been punished for failing to have her reading book signed by guardians as proof she had done her homework. The constitutional court will have to confirm the judgement.
Some parents are criticising the ruling, while rights groups says it is long overdue, she says. Ms Pfungwa, who filed her application with support from the Justice for Children’s Trust, said her child was severely assaulted with a rubber pipe.