A Rastafarian family was recently seeking the intervention of the Supreme Court to force a church-run school to rescind its decision to expel their daughter for wearing dreadlocks. The Bulawayo Adventist Secondary School expelled the dreadlocked daughter of Patson Makhiwa, who was supposed to begin Form 1 this term. It cited religious grounds. Makhiwa sought the intervention of the court for discrimination.
High Court Judge Justice Misheck Cheda earlier this year ruled against Makhiwa, saying he should respect the school’s religious beliefs.
The judge said Makhiwa fraudulently acquired a place for his daughter at the S by claiming she was a member of the church, yet she was not.
Cheda said on that basis alone, “the school would be still entitled to cancel the admission of the child” and dismissed the applications with costs.
Makhiwa told The Zimbabwean he would lodge an application at the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling.
“The ruling and the school’s decision segregates my daughter on religious grounds as education is a right, irrespective of religion,” Makhiwa said. He is represented by Jonathan Tsvangirai of Dube-Tachiona and Tsvangirai Legal Practitioners.
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