By Cephas Shava
The doctrine of in loco parentis, which entrusts teachers with the care and well-being of their pupils, is being severely tested as A 43-year old Mwenezi’s Choruvonga Primary School teacher, Emmanual Chikati, recently arrested on six counts of indecent assault and rape involving three minor girls.
The shocking case has raised questions about the vulnerability of students in the classroom and the limits of teacher-pupil relationships as the community grapples with the harsh reality of teacher-student abuse.
Chikati who reportedly sexually abused three minors on different occasions was not asked to plead to the six charges when he appeared before Mwenezi Magistrate Tafadzwanashe Marowi, on July 4, who remanded the accused to July 16, 2025 where he will appear at Chiredzi Regional Court for trial.
The State case as presented by prosecutor Leonard Chimombe is that between the month of February to May this year, Chikati allegedly sexually abused three minors aged 12, 13 and 14 on different occasions.
Chikati, who is a the victims’ class teacher is said to have called the minors in his office on different occasions where he reportedly propose love, fondle their breasts and made the minors suck his private parts before threatening them not to tell anyone.
At one point Chikati is said to have showed one of his victims pornographic material from his phone before slightly inserting his organ into the minor while in his office.
The matter came to light after Chikati reportedly punished one of the minors for absconding a Saturday lesson.
After punishment, the victim told others that the real root of the punishment was failure to visit the office for the regular abuses not the absconding the lesson.
This led to the other victims to open up as well leading to Chikati’s arrest.
