Tendai Murerwa
MUTARE-The tragic drowning of two Early Childhood Development (ECD) pupils at Hartzell Mission School in Mutasa District has taken a legal turn, with two school officials appearing in court in connection with the incident.
Maintenance supervisor Charles Chigwizura (49) and caretaker Andrew Chingono (38) appeared before Mutare magistrate Ania Ndiraya on June 17 with Chris Munyuki prosecuting. The two were remanded in custody and are expected to appear in court again on June 26 as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths continue.
The court appearance follows the deaths of Davian Mungazi (5) and Lovemore Tendedziso (6), both ECD B pupils, who drowned in a swimming pool at Hartzell Mission School on June 11, 2026.
According to reports Davian’s father, Agrippa Mungazi (48), a teacher at the school, became concerned after his son failed to return home during the lunch break at around 1pm. He alerted fellow teachers at approximately 2pm, prompting an urgent search involving school staff and community members.
The search ended in tragedy when the two children were discovered submerged in the school’s swimming pool. The bodies were retrieved from the water before police attended the scene. Investigations established that the swimming pool where the incident occurred had reportedly not been used for approximately 25 years. The disused facility was normally kept locked and authorities are seeking to establish how the young children gained access to the area.
It is understood that one of the pupils had visited a parent employed at the school shortly before the incident. The children were later reported missing, triggering the search that led to the grim discovery.
The matter was reported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police in Penhalonga, who attended the scene. The bodies were positively identified by relatives. No visible injuries were observed on either child, and the bodies were subsequently taken to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital for post-mortem examinations to determine the exact cause of death.
The heartbreaking incident has sparked widespread concern among parents, education stakeholders and child welfare advocates, with many questioning safety measures and supervision procedures at schools, particularly around potentially dangerous areas such as swimming pools and other restricted facilities.
The court proceedings are expected to attract significant public interest as authorities seek to establish whether negligence or failure to adhere to safety protocols contributed to the deaths of the two young pupils. The tragedy has also renewed calls for schools to strengthen child protection measures, improve supervision during break times and ensure hazardous facilities are properly secured and monitored to prevent similar incidents in the future.
