The St Matthias Tsonzo High School head Maxwell Samboona is set to appear before a disciplinary hearing over the disappearance of the late former student Livingstone Sunhwa from the school.
Following the discovery of Livingstone’s skeletal remains six months later, Samboona was suspended for a few months before he resumed his duties at the school.
Livingstone (19) was buried in December 2022, a year after he had gone missing from St Matthias Tsonzo High School where he was doing Form Four.
The remains were buried after DNA tests conducted confirmed that they were Livingstone’s.
The disciplinary hearing will take place at the school on 18 May, with witnesses expected to give accounts of what they witnessed during Livingstone’s last days at the school.
The hearing comes shortly after an inquest into the teenager’s death began at Mutasa Magistrates’Court.
Livingstone’s mother, Selina Tadya, has since received a letter from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s Discipline Services requesting her to testify at the hearing.
When contacted for comment, Manicaland Provincial Education Director, Edward Shumba said he will not comment as the hearing is a confidential matter.
Tadya told <a href="https://www.manicapost.co.zw/disciplinary-hearing-for-livingstone-sunhwas-headmaster/">The Manica Post</a> that although she had gone back to South Africa where she works, she will attend the hearing. She said:
<blockquote>
Everything had been stagnant all along and I was about to lose hope in the justice system but now it seems as if we could get justice for Livingstone.
While this will not bring my son back, I feel that justice should still prevail.
Of course, it will bring back traumatic memories to my daughter and l, as well as those close to us, but we will continue seeking justice for Livingstone.
</blockquote>
Livingstone’s 17-year-old sister, who was also learning at St Matthias Tsonzo at the time of his death, recently testified before Mutasa Magistrate, Artwell Sanyatwe at the ongoing inquest at the Magistrates’ Court.
She said she suspects foul play on her brother’s death as no one, including school authorities and the Zimbabwe Republic Police, informed her mother that Livingstone was missing from school, even several days after his disappearance.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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Livingstone Sunhwa's Headmaster Set For Disciplinary Hearing

An inquest into the death of Livingstone Sunhwa has begun at Mutasa Magistrates Court.
Livingstone (19) was a Form Four learner at St Matthias Tsonzo High School and went missing from the school in December 2021.
His remains were found six months later and were buried in December last year, a year after he went missing.
The police claimed Livingstone had committed suicide after being accused of stealing some food items from the school tuckshop.
<a href="https://www.manicapost.co.zw/inquest-into-livingstone-sunhwas-death-begins/">The Manica Post</a> reported that the inquest hearings will see witnesses to the events prior to Livingstone disappearance testifying before Mutasa magistrate, Artwell Sanyatwe.
Livingstone’s 17-year-old sister, Pride, who was also learning at St Matthias Tsonzo at the time of his disappearance, appeared before Sanyatwe on Wednesday.
Pride, who is now studying at another school, said she suspects foul play on her brother’s death. She said:
<blockquote>
0n December 5, 2021, I saw Livingstone coming from the hostels with some teachers and policemen.
Livingstone was being held by the collar by one of the policemen and they led him into the staff room.
They were demanding that he shows them how he had entered the staff room.
I then heard sounds that suggested that someone was being beaten inside the staff room and eventually I heard Livingstone crying and screaming, asking for them to stop.
As soon as other students started to gather, we were dispersed and ordered to go to our hostels.
After night study, I saw Livingstone standing outside and he had no shoes. That is the last time I saw him.
</blockquote>
She said she ended up calling her mother who was in South Africa to inform her of Livingstone’s disappearance.
Another witness, Lynette Chapungu, told the court that she discovered pieces of cloth, a blanket and some shoes that belonged to Livingstone.
She said she first saw the items towards the end of December 2021 after her grandchildren had alerted her. Said Chapungu:
<blockquote>
My grandchildren told me that they had seen the items in the bushes and I went there to collect them as I thought they belonged to my niece.
However, she denied owning the items so I took them back to the area where I had found them.
That was until June 2022 when the police came to investigate Livingstone’s disappearance.
Prior to the police’s investigations, I did not know that there was a student who had gone missing at the school.
</blockquote>
Chapungu, however, told the court that she does not suspect foul play on Livingstone’s death.
Sanyatwe remanded the matter to April 28 2023 when three police officers who are dealing with the matter are expected to testify.
DNA tests conducted on the remains confirmed that they were indeed Livingstone’s remains.
The skeletal remains were buried in December 2022, a year after he went missing from the school.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Inquest Into Livingstone Sunhwa's Death Begins

The late St Matthias Tsonzo High School learner Livingstone Sunhwa’s skeletal was buried on Sunday, 09 October 2022 at Dangamvura Cemetery in Mutare.
However, St Matthias Tsonzo High School authorities and learners were not present at the funeral and burial.
Speaking during an interview with <a href="https://www.manicapost.co.zw/new-livingstone-laid-to-rest/">The Manica Post</a> on the sidelines of the burial, Livingstone’s uncle, Wakinsi Njunga said:
<blockquote>
What happened at the school is pure evil and we will keep demanding justice for Livingstone.
We were honestly not expecting anyone from the school to show up because all along they never showed any care that our child was missing.
This is a school run by a church and it just shocked us that the responsible authority never contacted us or made any follow-ups but we had little hope that they would make it here today to at least say goodbye to Livingstone.
</blockquote>
Livingstone was buried more than 10 months after his disappearance from the school.
The burial follows the DNA results that recently concluded that the skeletal remains that were found in the schoolyard belonged to Livingstone.
The burial took place although his palms and feet are yet to be found.
In an interview with The Manica Post, Livingstone’s mother, Selina Tadya said the family will continue seeking justice for her son. She said:
<blockquote>
I do not think that I will ever recover from his death. Livingstone was a respectful child with whom I had faith and loved.
All I pray for is that the relevant authorities deliver justice towards my son’s death which was under unclear circumstances.
</blockquote>
Livingstone was last seen at the school on 6 December last year, and his remains were found on 24 June at a nearby stream in the schoolyard.
<h2>What happened to Livingstone?</h2>
According to his sister, Pride, <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/livingstone-sunhwas-sister-reveals-his-last-moments/">teachers at St Mathias Tsonzo High School assaulted Livingstone and banged his head into the wall until he could no longer speak.</a>
She said he was being punished for an alleged offence of stealing sweets and snacks from the school tuckshop.
Pride said Livingstone was assaulted in full view of the students just after break time. She said:
<blockquote>
I saw them walking with Livingstone towards the Administration block. They started beating him there asking him how he gained entrance into the tuckshop. They were smashing his head into the wall.
There was a teacher on duty whom I asked why they were beating my brother and he said it was because he had stolen.
I asked if they had called my mother and he said they had not. When they were done beating him, he could no longer speak.
All this happened in full view of the students because we were just returning from break time.
… I last saw him at the admin block standing with the head, but I could not talk to him.
</blockquote>
He was initially taken to Mutasa police station, as he was 19 years old, before he was released into the hands of the school head Maxwell Sambona to allow him to write a ZIMSEC examination.
Sambona was later suspended, pending investigations. He was reportedly the last person seen with Livingstone on 6 December 2021 before the boy disappeared.
Tadya lost her husband almost a decade ago and was looking up to Livingstone to be the father figure for the family in future.
Livingstone’s father also died under unclear circumstances, while working in a mine in Mozambique.

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