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Chronicle Writer

The leadership in Insiza District’s Ward 13 in Matabeleland South Province has identified a piece of land on which they plan to build a secondary school.

A local headman, Mr Julius Maromo told Chronicle yesterday that the leaders, parents, guardians and children are worried that the lack of a secondary school is frustrating access to education in the area.

Because there is no such school, he noted, most children in the newly-resettled area only learn up to Grade 7 at Debshan and Gwamanyanga primary schools and do not proceed to secondary school.

“Soon after we were resettled here, we worked together and built Gwamanyanga,” he said.

“We finished it in 2004.  Debshan Primary School was already there but there is no secondary school in this area of the ward.  The nearest one is Mpalawani, which is about 23km east of here and is in another ward.  That is too far for children to walk to and fro daily thus many of them just drop out after Grade 7.  The more fortunate ones who have relatives in Zvishavane or elsewhere move there for secondary education.”

Most of Ward 13 is in what was Debshan, an expansive cattle ranch which is still densely vegetated.  

Following the land reform programme in the early 2000s, the Government acquired a portion of the property and resettled thousands of people.  Infrastructure remains a challenge in the resettled zone, said Mr Maromo.  

“We seek urgent assistance to build that secondary school,” he said.

“We need building material, furniture and anything that those who can can donate.  In terms of labour during construction, the community can make a plan as we did at Gwamanyanga.  We can mould bricks as well.”

Mr Maromo added that the community accesses healthcare services at a clinic in neighbouring Ward 21. 

Cde Previous Munangatire, the recently-elected Zanu-PF councillor for Ward 13 said, in briefings he had with the community in the lead-up to the August 23 elections, the request for a secondary school featured prominently.  He said in addition to Debshan and Gwamanyanga, there are three other primary schools in that general area – Pioneer, Ebley and St Theresa – yet there is no secondary school.

“I was also district chairman for Zanu-PF in the area before my election as councillor, so that challenge has been discussed at length for a long time,” he said.

“Indeed, the children and their parents are troubled by that.  We, as the local political leadership, acknowledge the challenge and will support this community initiative so that our children access quality education to be able to reach their potentials.  The community said they have identified the piece of land but it is possible that we can discuss that further so we find a much more central place to build the school.  I am saying that because there are other areas apart from Debshan such as Sweet Home and Pioneer which also need a secondary school.  So, a secondary school in that area is one of our priorities.”