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Nduduzo Tshuma Political Editor
THE country’s universities last year scrambled for 2,500 pupils that passed Maths and Science subjects at Advanced Level from a total of 300,000 pupils churned out by high schools countrywide, a cabinet minister said yesterday.

The Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, made the remarks as he commissioned a state of the art laboratory at Ntepe High School in Gwanda built using Gwanda Community Share Ownership Trust funds.

He also made similar remarks in a meeting with local government employees in Matabeleland South.

Cde Kasukuwere, who was in the company of Youth Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Patrick Zhuwao, Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Lazarus Dokora and Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage Minister Abednico Ncube, said the laboratory was one of five built using the community share ownership trust funds to boost the teaching of science in Matabeleland South Province.

The Minister also commissioned a clinic at Sitezi completed through the Gwanda CSOT which also built two more facilities.

Cde Kasukuwere said cabinet had noted the dwindling number of pupils with Science and Mathematics qualifying for university.

“Just last year alone, all the universities had to fight for 2,500 children in the country. We produce more than 300,000 children at schools at A-Level and out of that only 2,500 passed Mathematics and Science and could proceed to become doctors and so forth. The major hindrance is lack of laboratories across the country and more so especially here in Matabeleland South,” he said.

Cde Kasukuwere said he was very happy to commission the laboratory at Ntepe High School to ensure that the province’s pass rate in Mathematics and Sciences goes up.

“Ultimately we can start looking forward, maybe in the next five years, to doctors coming from Matabeleland South. Over the years, and this is across the country, most of our children have done more of Arts and not Science and Mathematics,” he said.

Cde Kasukuwere said the government was concerned with developing its schools in the teaching of Maths and Science.

He said President Robert Mugabe had emphasised the need to enhance the teaching of Science and Maths in partial fulfilment of Zim-Asset and the commissioning of the laboratory is in line with what he has always preached.

Cde Kasukuwere said he expected the school to produce at least 10 doctors in the next 10 years.

Speaking at the commissioning of the laboratory, Cde Zhuwao said Gwanda had the best run CSOT in the country and his ministry would use it as a model in other districts countrywide.

He demanded that companies that have not honoured their pledges in the CSOTs to quickly do so saying, “there is a new sheriff in town”, and he would not rest until the monies were paid.

Cde Zhuwao said the companies would not be allowed to exploit the country’s resources yet the indigenous people don’t benefit.

Cde Dokora said his ministry had sent a team to Iran to see how the country teaches Science in their country with a view of introducing pure sciences in primary schools.

Meanwhile, addressing the local authority employees, Cde Kasukuwere said his ministry’s national tour was meant to bring various stakeholders including the ruling Zanu-PF party together to ensure service delivery.

He said after winning the 2013 elections, the government was implementing Zim-Asset at all levels.

Cde Kasukuwere said there was a need for unity between the party and local government to ensure that they speak the same language of service delivery.

“The President has sourced goods for us, we now have tractors. I know we’ve some coming here, irrigation schemes are being developed here but we need to do much more because this is a drought prone region,” he said.

“Our appeal is let’s unite and work together.”

Cde Kasukuwere said President Mugabe had buttressed Zim-Asset with the 10 point plan which placed emphasis on agriculture.

“He has supported that by bringing equipment from Brazil worth more than $100 million and that equipment must be made to work. He dispatched Vice President Mnangagwa to Belarus and another $150 million worth of equipment is on its way,” he said.

Cde Kasukuwere said there was a need for the full utilisation of land for food security.

He revealed that the government has released an input distribution programme but Matabeleland also needed support in livestock and irrigation.

Cde Kasukuwere reiterated the government’s assurance that enough grain had been imported to cushion drought affected communities.

He said the government had statistics on the needs of the people and last week 3,000 tonnes of maize had been dispatched for distribution.

Cde Kasukuwere said the government was raising funds to buy district administrators’ vehicles and improve their working conditions.

He called for a united approach in fighting veld fires and Zanu-PF secretary for environment Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa was doing a remarkable job in that regard.

“A few weeks ago, she demonstrated that. I think she was driving from the Midlands to Harare and stopped when she saw a fire with her security team. They were able to put out that fire so we need to do the same,” said Cde Kasukuwere.

He warned those selling state land in the name of the party that they would not escape the wrath of the law.

Cde Kasukuwere said he supported the issue of prepaid meters for water to ensure improved service.

He said the opposition by some civil society groups especially from Bulawayo to prepaid water meters would not yield anything.

Cde Dokora called for local authorities to provide teachers with housing stands to complement the ministry’s infrastructural development system.

He said they had looked for companies to partner government in the development of infrastructure in schools that would address the shortage of science laboratories and teacher accommodation.