President Robert Mugabe has cancelled all school lessons in Matebeleland to make way for his birthday party celebrations.
Mugabe’s office has ordered pupils from Matabeleland region not to attend school tomorrow and Friday to pave way for the 21st February Movement preparations.
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Lazarus Dokora issued the directive today.
The Permanent Secretary in Dokora’s Ministry, Dr Sylvia Utete- Masango confirmed the development to journalists Wednesday morning.
 A 3 year old  Ndodana Sibanda who attends a private pre-school in Suburbs, Bulawayo  brought home the following letter.
Dear Parents/Guardians
DIRECTIVE TO CLOSE SCHOOLS 23RD AND 24TH FEBRUARY 2017
Please be informed that the Ministry of Education has directed that schools be closed as detailed aboveÂ
to enable people to join in the 21st February movement celebrations.
Normal school will resume on Monday 27 February 2017.
Yours faithfully
The directive sparked fury  with Judith Todd reacting :
“These “celebrations” are to mark the 93rd birthday of Robert Gabriel Mugabe
and will pluck two important days of education out of the little life so far of
Ndodana Sibanda who has just turned three years and two months old
and hasn’t yet learned what a celebration is.
I wonder if all the hundreds of thousands of affected pupils throughout Zimbabwe actually even have a letter
to carry home to explain to their parents/guardians that Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Education
has ordered their absence from school for the next two days.”
