Zimbabwe bans the beating of children in school and at home

Zimbabwe's High Court has passed a ruling banning corporal punishment for children both at school and in the home. 

The ruling comes after a parent complained that her child in grade one, a class for six-year-olds, had deep bruises after a beating by a teacher.

Ms Linah Pfungwa, who filed her application with support from the Justice for Children's Trust, said her daughter had been punished for failing to have her reading book signed by guardians as proof she had done her homework.

And according to her, her child was severely assaulted with a rubber pipe.

"My child suffered major bruises and I took photographs and pictures... She had deep bruises on her back and she could hardly sleep properly," she is quoted as saying by the state-run Chronicle newspaper.

"I posted the pictures of my daughter on our WhatsApp group for other parents to observe and it turned out that other children had also been assaulted."

Ms Pfungwa in her application, said that children should not be subjected to any form of violence and such corporal punishment breached their rights under Zimbabwe's Constitution.

A welcome development?