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ZIMBABWE
Dzvova v Minister of Education, Sports and Culture
and Others
(2007) AHRLR 189 (ZwSC 2007)
Farai Dzvova v (1) Minister of Education Sports and Culture (2)
Ruvheneko Primary School (3) F Nyahuye
Supreme Court of Zimbabwe, Harare, civil application 291/06, 10
January 2007
Judges: Chidyausiku CJ, Sandura JA, Cheada JA, Ziyambija and
Malaba JA
Rastafarian child expelled from school for wearing dreadlocks
Religion (definition, 20-23)
Equality, non-discrimination (discrimination on the grounds of
religion, 30, 32, 48, 58)
Limitations (power to impose limitations on rights, 37, 39, 45, 50,
51, 53-55)
Education (discrimination, 37, 38, 47, 48)
[1.] The applicant is the father of a six year-old child Farai
Benjamin Dzova (hereinafter referred to as ‘the child’).
[2.] The first respondent is the Government Minister responsible for
Education, Sports and Culture, under whose Ministry the second
respondent falls (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Minister’).
[3.] The second respondent is the primary school in which the child
was enrolled (hereinafter referred to as ‘the school’).
[4.] The third respondent is the headmaster of the school
(hereinafter referred to as ‘the headmaster’).
[5.] At the beginning of March 2005 the child was enrolled in grade
(0) at the school in line with the new education policy of the Ministry
of Education which required that children’s pre-schools be attached
to primary schools so that the children would automatically attend
the primary schools from pre-schools. The child graduated from the
pre-school system and was then enrolled in the primary school
system. The fees were paid and all necessary books and stationery
were purchased.
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