Fact Check: Has Government Postponed Opening of Schools?

Claim – A message on social media platforms purports that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has postponed the opening of schools to 12 September 2023 due to ‘the delay of the Zimbabwean Presidential election results’.

Verdict – False

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education deputy director advocacy and communications Patrick Zumbo has dismissed the message as fake.

“Schools are opening on the 4^th of September and will close on 1 December as initially planned,” said Zumbo.

The social media message is imposter content that has numerous red flags that indicate that it is fake.

Red flags

Grammatical error – ‘12nd’ instead of 12^th
Naming error – It uses the blanket term, ‘Ministry of Education’ when the ministry mandated to make such an announcement is the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
Misleading reason for the supposed delay in schools opening – The post attributes the shift in opening dates to a delay in the announcement of the presidential election results which have already been announced.
Wrong dates – According to the 2023 schools calendar, the third term begins on the 4^th of September and not on the 5^th as indicated in the post.