Mitchell has been missing for two months, parents demand answers

ON March 1, Mitchell Gwashavanhu, a Form One student, left home for school.

She hasn’t been seen since.

The mysterious disappearance of the Transparency College student has left her family devastated and they are demanding answers from the school authorities.

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The case was reported under RRB 5470833 at Chitungwiza Police Station.

The 14-year-old was intelligent, her uncle and guardian, Gwashavanhu, revealed.

“She was a very good kid, very hard-working in class, at home and in sports. Very well-behaved kid with a bright future.

“Very intelligent and I was grooming her academically and she was already proving to be a top student in her class, getting top marks in tests during the term.

“And, in athletics, she was number 1, she told me she would go all the way to national events as she was confident of winning at zone, district and provincial levels, especially for 100m,” he said.

Gushavanhu said on the day she disappeared, she was at training.

“One wonders what happened after training on Wednesday, March 1, when they were readying for district competitions on March 3.

“Is it then a coincidence that she was kidnapped on that very March 1 day and she subsequently missed the district event?

“Which student replaced her in the senior relay team when she went missing?

“Which student lost her place in that team when this Form One kid got that place and who are the friends of that student who lost their place?

“Were they with Mitchell on that very last day when she trained and disappeared? So are the students who attended sports not suspects given the threats she was complaining about from those senior students?

“Why were the school authorities not addressing those concerns and when the child went missing, why did they hide the truth?”

He insists the school authorities should shed more light.

“Mitchell was under my custody and I was sending her to school at Transparency College.

“My brother and I are devastated by the circumstances under which our child disappeared in a clear case of suspected kidnapping at the college.

“Shamwari Yevanasikana also got a report from us, we hope they are doing something about this case to help in the Mitchell case.

“I am fighting for my child’s rights and justice as a parent, I am not fighting or hating anyone.

“It’s about a child’s life and safety, it’s not about me hating anyone.

“Other kids confirmed they left sports around 12 noon, so taking into account walking time and some normal delays she should have arrived home by 2:30pm.

“I asked if sports students had been dismissed and what time and the sad story began unfolding with each hour passing with no news until late.

“I slept with no information from the school as they ignored calls and failed to answer WhatsApp messages in their inbox and in their group when we were trying to get information from the school.”

Many versions have been coming through.

“She returned to school according to information available but the kids seemed too afraid to tell the real story.

“According to information available, after Simbiso’s shop, Mitchell proceeded to school riding a bicycle belonging to someone.

“At home she has a bicycle that she likes to ride.

“She was playing with this bicycle at the sports venue also. Another boy (name withheld) revealed that the owner of the bicycle followed Mitchell to the school to collect his bicycle.

“So that’s proof that Mitchell went to school around 1pm that day but these kids were clearly told to hide this fact and were told what to say by the school authorities.

“We slept without that information on that day, not even sure what the school position was on whether the child attended school or didn’t.

“Does that information need a school meeting to be confirmed by the school in a situation where a child didn’t report home from 3pm till late and the guardian alerted the school authorities as early as 3 pm and throughout until 8 pm?

“Other parents confirmed that night, via their own children, that Mitchell was well and attended school training on that day but the school authorities deliberately and strategically, for unknown reasons, failed to simply to confirm that the child attended school.”

No comment was obtained from the school authorities.-H Metro