By Manica Post
MUTARE — An 11-year-old Grade Five pupil has died after allegedly ingesting an unknown substance, with her family accusing school authorities of ignoring repeated complaints that she was being bullied by fellow learners.
Tinashe Simbarasi, a learner at St Peter’s Tokoyo Primary School in Makoni South, died at Rusape General Hospital last week after allegedly enduring weeks of abuse, including having food taken from her lunchbox and being humiliated over claims that she had two boyfriends.
Relatives say the bullying continued despite the child repeatedly seeking help, raising questions about how the school handled the complaints before her death.
Tinashe lived with her 82-year-old great-grandmother, Clara Dindikwa, in Tokoyo Village.
Dindikwa said the girl returned home distressed on the day of the incident after allegedly being bullied at school.
“She came home around 11am on that day, and told me that Grade Seven examinations were taking place, and that she could not remain at school because some children were bullying her,” she said.
Four schoolgirls allegedly arrived at the homestead shortly afterwards, telling Dindikwa that teachers wanted Tinashe to return to school to answer allegations that she had two boyfriends.
“One of the girls was a prefect, so I believed them.
“I told Tinashe to put on her uniform and go with them because they said teachers wanted to speak to her,” Dindikwa said.
The alleged prefect’s name is being withheld because she is a minor.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the death, saying the incident followed an alleged confrontation involving fellow learners.
“It is alleged that on September 28, at around 1pm, Tinashe met a fellow learner who accused her, in the presence of other learners, of having two boyfriends.
“Other learners allegedly joined in bullying her, leading her to leave school and return home,” Chinyoka said.
Makoni District Schools Inspector George Chidhakwa also confirmed the death, saying education authorities were still investigating the circumstances.
“The death occurred outside the school premises.
“Investigations are still underway to establish exactly what happened and the circumstances surrounding the incident,” he said.
Tinashe’s family, however, says the allegations about boyfriends were only part of a wider pattern of bullying that had persisted for weeks.
Dindikwa said Tinashe and her younger brother, a Grade One pupil at the same school, were repeatedly targeted over the food they took to school.
“She would often come home crying, saying other children were taking food from her lunchbox without her permission.
They would start by grabbing food from her younger brother before targeting her.
She told me several times that she had reported the matter, but nobody listened to her.
That is what pains me the most. She sought help, but nothing was done,” she said.
The elderly woman said she was now worried about her grandson’s safety because he continues to attend the same school.
Tinashe’s mother, Patience Tokoyo, who works in Harare, said her daughter had enrolled at the school on September 16 after choosing to stay with her great-grandmother.
“She had only been at the school for about three weeks when these allegations about boyfriends suddenly surfaced.
“I want to know who called her back to school and why.
“My daughter complained to us about bullying over her lunchbox.
She said she was frustrated because her reports were not being taken seriously,” she said.
Tokoyo said the family believed the tragedy could have been prevented if the complaints had been addressed.
“My daughter is gone. She has been buried, yet the children she said were tormenting her are still attending school as if nothing happened.
“We expected some form of support from the school, but none of the teachers attended her funeral,” she said.
A neighbour, Judith Chirwanemhuka, who helped take Tinashe to hospital, said the alleged bullying was not an isolated incident.
Chirwanemhuka claimed her own grandchild had also been targeted by the same group of learners, alleging that the prefect had taken food from the child.
“I had to go to the school and confront her over it,” she said.
She further claimed that Tinashe spoke to a doctor about the circumstances surrounding her actions while receiving treatment at Rusape General Hospital.
“As her condition seemed to improve, she told a doctor that she had decided to take the substance because she could no longer cope with the abuse she was facing at school,” Chirwanemhuka said.
According to Chirwanemhuka, Dindikwa had previously confronted the families of the alleged bullies but was insulted and dismissed.
Tinashe’s condition later deteriorated as arrangements were being made to transfer her to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital, she said.
“Just hours before she died, she repeatedly mentioned the name of one of the girls she blamed for what had happened.
“It was heart-breaking to witness,” Chirwanemhuka said.
The death has prompted calls for stronger measures against bullying and better support for vulnerable pupils in Tokoyo Village.
Community member Bianda Chiputsa said the village had recently witnessed another child’s death by suicide, raising further concerns about the welfare of young people.
“We cannot allow bullying and suicide to become normal in our community.
“Our children need guidance, support and protection,” she said.
Another villager, Stephen Chipfuwamiti, said schools, parents and community leaders needed to work together to prevent bullying.
“Bullying is becoming a serious concern.
Children must be taught how to resolve conflicts peacefully, while parents and teachers need to work together to identify warning signs before tragedies occur,” he said.
Village head Tokoyo’s aide, Lloyd Matanda, said the community was supporting the bereaved family as investigations continued.
