Prominent human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has said that it is unconstitutional for Harare Polytechnic College to demand police clearance from prospective students. Mtetwa said that even convicted criminals deserved an education and have a right not to be discriminated against. Said Mtetwa:
It is clearly and blatantly unconstitutional to request students to produce police clearance. The Constitution states that anyone has a right to education whether they are in prison or not. Regardless of political affiliation education is a right for all.
The circular for the 2018 enrolment requirements reads:
Applications are invited from suitably qualified people to undertake the following courses beginning in January 2018. Please note: all applicants should have 5 Ordinary Levels including Mathematics, English for all courses and Science for other courses. Police clearance is a requirement for all applicants.
However, Principal Tafadzwa Mudondo said the police clearance was only for administrative use and would not affect a prospective student’s eligibility. Said Madondo:
There is no malice in asking students to have police clearance; in fact since we started it, more than 5 000 applications have been received. Even members of Parliament and councillors are adhering to the requirements and have brought applications for their relatives with police clearance.
We are simply doing it for the safety of the students and the college. There has been an upsurge in crime at the college and we only want to know who we are enrolling.
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I personally think that Mr mudondo is heavy handed in his security measures at the poly.It is understandable for such an institution,given its importance to be security conscious but i urge the principal to be ware of turning our prestigious institution into a military cantonment.His military background should be an advantage since the Army is the home of discipline but i think its way too far…even the security guards manning the main entrance are so militant,so overzealous and they saying they are acting on orders of the principal..
The Principal, Mr Mudondo thinks he knows everything. He is running the institution like his personal tuckshop. Please the powers that be can you intervene. Recently we have had one of the same guards killed by rowdy students for their misappropriate behavior.