Zimbabwe shuts down 'racist' private schools

[Troubleshooter]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../ixportal.html


Zimbabwe's government closed the country's 46 private schools yesterday and sent children away at the start of the new term, arguing that the fees were too high.

Aeneas Chigwedere, the education minister, accused the schools of being "racist" institutions which raised their fees to keep out blacks.

However, the overwhelming majority of children at 45 private schools are black. All but one or two private schools are run as not-for-profit trusts.

"We are dealing with racist schools. They are all former white schools - all racist," he told state television. "They throw Africans out simply by hiking fees."

Among those stopped from attending was President Robert Mugabe's middle child, Robert Jnr, who attends the leading Catholic School, St George's College.