Members of Prayer Network Zimbabwe (PNZ) today convened in Harare to demonstrate against Dokora’s ‘Evil’ National Pledge.
The national pledge was imposed on all schools early this year by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Lazarus Dokora, in a bid to ‘motivate school pupils to cherish their Zimbabwean identity, value their heritage and salute the national flag.’
The controversial national pledge which lionises war veterans and the Zanu PF leadership and has torched strong bitterness among churches, teachers, parents and ordinary citizens.
Scores of PNZ members who spoke to 263chat said that they are totally against the national pledge saying that the ministry imposed it without proper consultation.
“Dokora imposed the national pledge to our children without proper consultation,” said one of PNZ members recognized as Elington Kasman.
Some of the people who participated in the demonstration against the National Pledge
He also added that the contents of the national pledge is in sharp contrast with the current situation in the country as it says that people are proud of natural resources.
“The contents of the national pledge are pure lies and ambiguous, it says ‘we are proud of the natural resources’ which natural resources?” queried Kansman. He suggested that pledge must be recited by government officials who are squandering Zimbabwean resources.
PNZ demanded immediate halt of reciting the national pledge in schools
Another member of the PNZ, Rodhie Takaruza echoed the above sentiments saying that Dokora is fighting the Christian community.
“As Christians we feel that our rights are being squashed by Dokora as our children are forced to swear an oath,” he said adding that Dokora imposed many regulations which are contrary to Christian beliefs, like the banning of bibles in schools,” he said.
Meanwhile, pastors from different denominations who joined the march said that the pledge is a threat to their religion.
“As a Christian I feel very threatened because the national pledge fights what i believe in like banning bibles and the Lord’s Prayer,” said pastor Ester Banda from the Restoration Ministries.
Another pastor from Bulawayo who identified himself as Reason Ngwenya demanded that Dokora must respond to the petition and the national pledge must be stopped.
“We demand Dokora to respond to our petition because we want the national pledge to be stopped,” he said.
He added that the minister is trying to lure Christians and divert them to a ‘certain religion’.
In a petition addressed to the ministry of primary and secondary education, PNZ demanded immediate halt of reciting the national pledge in schools. The petition also called on resurgence scripture union in schools and that the distribution of Gedion bibles must be allowed again.
PNZ is not the first group to condemn the national pledge, Human rights lawyers urged the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) to declare the national school pledge imposed by Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora as unconstitutional.
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association also said it does not respect and support the learners’ national pledge, saying it is unconstitutional and infringes the rights of children’s different religious opinions.
