Tendai Muererwa
MUTARE-Two Early Childhood Development (ECD) pupils tragically drowned in a swimming pool at Hartzell Mission School in Mutasa District on Thursday, 11 June 2026.
The deceased have been identified as Davian Mungazi (5), an ECD B pupil, and Lovemore Tendedziso (6), also an ECD B pupil from Hobhouse 3, Mutare.
Manicaland province acting police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka told The Midweek Watch that, Davian’s father, Agrippa Mungazi (48), a teacher at Hartzell Mission School, went home during the lunch break at around 1pm and discovered that his son had not returned from school. Concerned about his whereabouts, he alerted fellow teachers at around 2pm, prompting a search for the child. During the search, teachers and community members discovered two school satchels near the school’s swimming pool. Douglas Mapfunde (43) volunteered to retrieve the bodies from the pool.
The matter was reported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police in Penhalonga, who attended the scene. Mungazi positively identified the bodies of the two children. No visible injuries were observed on either bodies. The bodies were taken to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital for post-mortem examinations to establish the exact cause of death.
The tragic incident has raised concerns about the safety of young children in school environments. Education stakeholders and child welfare advocates have urged schools to strengthen supervision measures, particularly around potentially hazardous areas such as swimming pools, dams and water reservoirs.
Children in ECD classes are especially vulnerable and require constant monitoring to ensure their safety. Chinyoka encouraged schools to implement strict access control measures, secure dangerous areas, and maintain adequate supervision during break times to prevent similar tragedies.
