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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
IT is a scorching Wednesday afternoon as I arrived at one of the state-of-the-art primary schools in Zvishavane, Errymaple.

The principal Mrs Plaxedes Chinyowa is leading school staff in preparation for the third term which commences early next month.

Mrs Chinyowa says she wants the tennis court and swimming pool rehabilitated before schools open as pupils will be swimming and playing tennis among other extra-curricular activities to be done this coming term.

Located along Masvingo Road, Errymaple primary and high are private schools owned by Ruswa Holdings – a company that is into property development among other businesses.

“We’re busy renovating the swimming pool for our pupils and we’re working on the new tennis court. This school should have everything like the private schools in Harare or Bulawayo so that we attract more pupils for the socio-economic development of the town,” said Mrs Chinyowa.

In the past three years, Zvishavane, traditionally known for asbestos mining has seen a positive surge in the education sector following the coming in of the Midlands State University which has set up its Zvishavane campus that has over 3 000 students.

History books have it on record that in the 1970s to early 2000, asbestos was fetching a reasonable price on the world mineral market and as such Zvishavane and Mashava towns, the main centres of the extraction of chrysotile fibre, grew in leaps and bounds.

With the favourable asbestos prices, the then Shabanie and Mashaba Mines (SMM), now the African Associated Mines (AAM), were thriving to the extent that a 17-floor asbestos plant was commissioned in Zvishavane in 1979 making it the tallest building in the country at that time.

The surge in the production of chrysotile fibre saw the emergence of suburbs such as Mandava, Maglas, Kandodo, Birthday and Chinda Heights in Zvishavane to accommodate the growing workforce and its families.

At its peak, the asbestos producing giant employed 5 000 workers, with over 100 000 families from surrounding areas depending on the mines and close to 200 downstream and upstream industries benefitting from full-scale operations at the mine.

Then, around 2004 when asbestos production staggered, mining, the only known economic activity in the area, choked. With the only source of livelihood limping, most of the businesses in Zvishavane crashed as the parent company found continued operations unsustainable.

However, as the old adage goes, “every cloud has a silver lining” the economic activity in Zvishavane and Mashava is now centred on the operations of two universities, the Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) and the Midlands State University (MSU) and private primary and secondary schools also sprouting.

These include Errymaple primary and high schools and Marlon Junior School. Christina Senior School owned by prominent Zvishavane businessman Mr Clever Pote, is set to open soon.

The coming in of MSU and the private schools has seen a surge in infrastructural development.

“Zvishavane didn’t have any private or council school before 2004. You’ll find that we were forced to look to Gweru, Harare, Masvingo and Bulawayo for schools for our children and it was a mammoth task and therefore the idea to open private schools,” said Mrs Ashell Ruswa, one of the directors of Ruswa Holdings.

“As a result of private schools like ours, we’ve seen an increase in the population of children from toddlers to university students. A missing link in terms of population ages is now back in town.”

In Zvishavane, MSU has stationed some of its faculties at buildings previously owned by the asbestos giant, while the GZU also has some of its faculties at Gaths Mine in Mashava.

The two universities negotiated 20 to 25-year renewable leases for the occupation of the buildings.

Their moves have changed the economic trajectory of the two towns with the MP for Masvingo West where GZU Mashava campus is, Cde Ezra Chadzamira, saying, “In place of the minerals, books are now levers of our economy.”

According to former MSU Vice Chancellor Professor Ngwabi Bhebhe, the university brought over $100 million worth of investment to Gweru meaning Zvishavane over the years will amass such figures as the number of students grows.

The sudden increase in students has lit up Zvishavane bringing relief to the residents of this former vibrant town.

As a result, almost everyone has turned into a business person with homeowners anticipating accommodation demand, building or turning their houses into boarding houses for desperate students thereby increasing cash flow in the community.

Banks, the town council, shops and the taxi business all now rely on students as books overtake mining.

Scores of Zvishavane women can be seen outside the campus gates, with canteens stretching across selling food to the students.

“We thank God for these students because some of us are leasing our houses to them while others are selling food to them outside campus. Big supermarkets like OK, TM and Pote, hardware shops and the hospitality industry are all benefitting from the students,” said a vendor, Mrs Martha Tachiona.

Private players in the medical sector have also firmly established practices as student visits keep them busy.

Zvishavane Town secretary, Mr Tinoda Mukutu, said he was happy MSU had set up its campus in the town.

According to MSU, the institution of higher learning has expanded into Zvishavane as part of its growth strategy.

“Midlands State University has expanded its tentacles into Zvishavane where it has opened a new campus. The campus, which is located at the old Shabanie – Mashava Mining Holdings offices, houses the Faculty of Mining Sciences and the departments of Peace Studies, and Politics and Public Management which are both offered under the Faculty of Social Sciences. Also on offer at the new campus is the Bachelor of Education degree in Information Communication Technology under the Faculty of Education.”

Facilities at the new campus include administration offices for key units such as the bursar and registry sections.

Apart from its different geographic location, all functions and processes related to management, teaching, learning, and students’ welfare are the same as those currently in place at the main campus in Gweru.

“For example, student accommodation is available for new and returning students both on and off campus. However, similar to the main campus, on-campus accommodation is limited and preference will be given to first year students on a first come first serve basis. In the case of returning students, preference will be given to those who had already secured accommodation at the main campus.”