Thread by @kedukudzi

On 4 March 1996 the whole school marched from St David's Girls High Bonda to Watsomba some 70+ km away, protesting against the actions of the then head, chief of which was the fact that she had purchased new furniture when the clean water pump had broken down. I was there.

We were briefed by prefects the night before. We left after breakfast at 6am, the fastest amongst us arrived 3pm in Watsomba. Authorities tried to make us turn back we were resolute. Police gave us an escort. The weaker ones were now being picked from the back to the destination

Once everyone was in Watsomba, we sat outside the District Education offices, sang songs of solidarity and were then addressed. The man in charge there was incidentally the most recent head SaChidawanyika, lovingly called Baba. He sweet talked us to return to school, buses came

Matongo - usually seen pa home go, took us back to school where we had a late supper plus our lunch combined lol and collapsed in bed. Board meetings started the next day, classes were off for the whole week. The one attempt at assembly failed, we booed the head off stage

So we had a week in dorms and that did not bode well for our tuck, lol decimated in days of lounging and talking waiting for the dining bell. Eventually issues were resolved later in that week. Classes resumed but the exchanges were lit! Teacher would ask in English class for a

Sentence using "unhappy ". Someone would volunteer "The children marched to Watsomba because they were unhappy with the head". 😂
The water pump was fixed. The furniture stayed. The protest was masterminded by disgruntled teachers, none turned up for class on march day actually

They did this with some of the top prefects and a specific one was asked to apologize she refused and was demoted. The rest of that year, in protest, she did not wear the red skirt and white blouse uni but a T-shirt and track bottom to classes. That was literally an 18 year old

Who passed any way and went to uni but it's sad in retrospect to think what she was subjected to as a mere child. Then there were the parents who came through as soon as it was convenient. One girl's dad saw her on the front page of the Manica post with a poster leading the march

He took the next combi out from Mutare, entered the school premises and proceeded to beat her up along the school main road by the reception and we all witnessed it. Many of us were not spared tongue lashings at home during the school hols too. Regime change was not embraced

In retrospect I see that these parents were driven by fear, fear of revolt, change, fear that the same uprisings could occur in their homes if these children's actions were endorsed or encouraged. For me in saw the power of oneness and unity. We woke up 5 March with sore legs and

Burning in between the thighs from friction, but we made our point and got results. The head did change her culture and did a decent job with the school. I only feel for those who became direct victims of the common action. And oh, vakatituma escaped completely unscathed. Life.

Perhaps it was because our circumstances were similar-all of us students,only separated by the amount & quality of biscuits we brought to school or the school shoes we wore - this was, after all, the era of Bad Boys & Rockstone, shoes I never bothered to ask for knowing my mum😂

But we ate the same food, stayed in the same dorms, bathed in the same washrooms, taught by the same teachers and were all participants in education with production (prodo) so there was common cause.
Indeed unity is ever important.
Solitary to the young cdes at Monte Casino ✊

@threadreaderapp unroll

But we soon grew up. And went separate ways. Use different amenities.

Now when there is no water some get boreholes. No power, some get their generators. No roads, some get their high clearance rides. No education, some go private school. No health, some fly to SA & India