Deplorable state of schools in Matabeleland
Providence Moyo
TSHOLOTSHO – Several schools in Matabeleland remain underdeveloped and characterised by precarious sorry sight infrastructure which is exposing learners to the harsh vagaries of weather.
Somakandana Primary school in Nkayi South’s Ward 11 under headman Mpofu is one such school with walls that send chills down the spines of concerned parents.
One parent who spoke to this publication, Nosizo Ncube, expressed her worries over the state of the school, asserting that she is sending her children to Somakanda only because she has no means of taking her children to better schools.
“I wish I had funds to transfer my children to a better school as it pains me to see my children going to such a dilapidated school,” she said.
Another parent, Lucky Mpofu who shared the same sentiments with Ncube, revealed her dread at the impending rainy season in relation to roofless classrooms at the school. She said, “The rainy season is fast approaching and I wonder how the children will learn in classrooms that are devoid of roofs,” said Mpofu.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom based Chairperson of Nkayi Development Initiative (NDI) Nkosi Ndlovu said the state of many schools in Nkayi is “depressing” hence, as an organization of Nkayi-born children they have come up with a solution as a way of ploughing back to the community that raised and nurtured them.
“We noticed that Somakandana is one of the many schools whose infrastructure is not in good shape and puts children’s lives at risk, so we decided to form an initiative, Nkayi Development Initiative (NDI) whose aim is to uplift the socio-economic lives of the locals where renovation of schools is part of the main mandates and reasons why the initiative exists in the first place. At the moment, we are building a classroom block for the school,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu added that NDI aims to complete the building of the classroom before the rainy season ensues in order to guarantee learning during the wet season which has been problematic for learners over the years.
In August 2019, NDI donated a solar powered borehole for Somakandana. Prior to the donation, children stood the risk of falling into a pit from which they used to fetch stagnant water which also presented health risks as an open, unsafe water source.
Ndlovu appealed to other Nkayi indigenes to join the initiative so that they can collectively push for the betterment of Nkayi.
Commenting on the issue, Provincial Education Director ( PED) for Matabeleland North, Jabulani Mpofu said a team will be sent to the school to assess the status quo and possibly map the way forward on how to fix the challenge.
The PED added that the ministry is aware of massive underdevelopment and storm damages in some schools. He said to mitigate the challenges stemming from underdevelopment, the ministry is working hand in glove with World Vision, a humanitarian non-governmental organization, to develop schools in Matabeleland. According to Mpofu, 20 schools in Tsholotsho and Nkayi will be rehabilitated under the project.
“The ministry in conjunction with World Vision is running a project called ‘Storm damage project’ that seeks to rehabilitate 10 schools from Tsholotsho and 10 Schools from Nkayi,” he said.
Falling classroom walls in Nkayi South schools are not a new thing. Amazwimabili Primary’s wall collapsed and children as young as ECD learners have their lessons in open spaces and this has compelled concerned citizens under the leadership of one elderly woman, Thabisile Nkala to come together and help rebuild the classroom for the safety of the children.
An investigation by Community Podium, revealed some of the schools whose state parents are not happy with. These include:
Mpilo Primary, Phelela, Kapane, Sipepa Primary, Malanda Secondary, Mgomeni Primary, Nanda Secondary,all in Tsholotsho District; Sesemba, Bahlangene, Donsa, Simbo, Dimpamiwa, Jengwe, Hojeni, Mhlabuyatshiya, Kwesengulube, Duhamzondo, all in Nkayi District; and Gwambe Secondary in Plumtree.
