The Sunday News
Tendai Bhebe, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government has completed rehabilitating seven schools in Matabeleland North that were destroyed by strong winds in December last year, an official has said.
The winds damaged classroom roofs as well as teachers’ cottages.
In an interview, Matabeleland North acting deputy provincial education director Mrs Beatrice Manjere said rehabilitation of the infrastructure was completed last month.
“We have managed to complete seven schools last month, which are Nkayi, Deli, Gwamayaya, Sivomo, Jimila, Helokha primary schools and George Silundika High. We spent $163 500 for the rehabilitation of these schools.
“We are happy with the rehabilitation that was done as children had no classrooms to use for learning. And due to different weather conditions it has been disturbing them as they were failing to concentrate on their studies,” she said.
Mrs Manjere said most schools’ infrastructure was old and rehabilitation was meant to help restore the usability of the classrooms and teachers to get accommodation.
She added: “Our challenges are that the price increases affected our purchasing power. Again our schools for example at Nkayi Primary were purchasing the building material in Bulawayo and this became a challenge due to the unavailability of transport to carry from Bulawayo to the school.”
Mrs Manjere encouraged district offices to quickly report incidents of infrastructure damage at schools.
Tsholotsho Ward Six councillor Mthetho Sikhosana expressed gratitude to the Government for rehabilitating the schools.
“Students and teachers faced a hard time as they had no place to use. However, we are grateful that the Government helped us to rehabilitate and children are now safe as they can be able to continue with learning,” he said.
He, however, appealed for learning material to equip some of the schools.
“We are appealing for help from well wishers as most of the schools do not have enough learning material as it was also destroyed. Some of the schools have no chairs or benches and textbooks,” he said.
@TendaiBhebe
