ZANU PF Bikita West and Shurugwi North MPs Elias Musakwa and Ronald Nyathi argued in Parliament on Tuesday that the banning of corporal punishment in schools would impact negatively on pupils in schools.
The MPs attributed Zimbabwe’s high literacy rate and discipline partly to caning of pupils in schools.
Mangwana however, insisted that corporal punishment has played no role in ensuring high grades in the education sector.
“It seems our MPS are advocating for violence against children. They attribute Zimbabwe’s high literacy rate to canning suggesting we were canned until we became literate,” said Mangwana.
“If beating up or torturing adults is inhumane and degrading treatment, how about children?”
The Zimbabwean government banned corporal punishment in schools in line with the constitution.
The Constitutional Court also abolished corporal punishment on convicted children under the age of 18 years.
In his judgment, Chief Justice Luke Malaba ruled that corporal punishment was by nature, intent and effect, an inhuman and degrading punishment within the meaning of Section 53 of the Zimbabwean constitution.
