Mayor to meet diocese officials about headmaster impasse

EASTERN PROVINCE NYAGATARE — District mayor Robert Kashemeza is ready to meet Byumba Diocese officials in an effort to resolve a clash over the head teacher of ETP, believed to harbor Genocide ideology. Speaking to The New Times on Monday, Kashemeza said the matter of whether to sack or spare Fr. Lucian Hakizimana and the entire management of Ecole Technique Parouise du Nyarurema) over genocide ideology was yet to be resolved. He said the district received an official letter from the Diocesan Bishop, Servien Nzakamwita rejecting the district directive. I received a letter from Bishop Nzakamwita objecting our claims, I have been busy but i intend to meet him and we discuss the matter so that we can solve it amicably, Kashemeza said. The district and Byumba catholic diocese reached disagreement late last year after the diocese objected a district directive to fire Fr. Hakizimana before this academic year, over genocide ideology, saying the district leaders ‘had got it wrong.’ However, Kashemeza insisted that their investigations revealed that Hakizimana harbors and propagates Genocide ideology in school although it was difficult to prove. He said their [district] directive to fire him was based on concrete facts. He expressed optimism in the talks to find a lasting solution to the standoff. It’s predictable that when the bishop comes for talks, the issue will be solved amicably because we may differ but at the end some resolution will be reached for good working relations, he said. ETP is a telecommunications and computer engineering school built on a religious background and partly funded by Byumba catholic diocese. Students and alumni of the school allege that Hakizimana propagates genocide ideology among his students in a disguised way, a claim denied by the diocese. Meanwhile, Kashemeza said the district approved the recent decision by Nyagatare Sector authorities to suspend the head teacher of Gakirage primary school, Alphonsine Musabyayezu, over similar allegations. The advisory council is still investigating the matter but the district basing on grounds of sector authorities approved her provisional suspension to give room for investigations, he said. He said the final decision would be taken by the district council after compiling its report. Ends