MWENEZI – NYANGAMBE Turf Primary School in Mwenezi has completed its first two
classrooms blocks after 20 years during which pupils were learning under trees and in pole
and dagga structures.
The development of the school, which was established in early 2000, has been hampered by
the authorities’ failure to allocate it an official stand. The technicality being the school was in
an A2 resettlement area and needed to be transferred into an A1 resettlement area before the
allocation could be finalised.
The school which is in Ward 15 about 57 km drive from the tarred road through a
conservancy with virtually little access to transport. Construction of a classroom block started
in 2020 and received assistance for the second block the local council through the assistance
of the devolution funds.
Speaking during the tour by the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring
Implementation of Government Programmes, Dr Jorum Gumbo, the headmaster, Bernard
Chauke, said the school, which has a current enrolment of 340 learners, hopes to build
another classroom block.
“This school was started in 2002 following the land reform programme and it was in 2020
when we came together with the parents for the construction of the first block. It is under the
Second Republic that we heard there was very good programme that had been initiated by
President Mnangagwa of the devolution funds. We appealed to council for assistance in the
construction of the second block under the devolution funds and they are assisting us.
“There is need for another classroom block. We already have about 75 000 bricks but we
don’t have materials and money to buy other requirements. There is also the problem of
teachers’ accommodation; we still live in mud huts.”
He said they don’t have Information Communication Technology (ICT) gadgets and they
sometimes rely on the smart phones as teaching aids for their pupils.
Mwenezi West Constituency Member of Parliament, Priscilla Moyo, bemoaned the lack of
infrastructural development in the resettlement areas as children will live far from their
families for them to attend school every day.
“The problem that we have in the resettlement areas is that it is a very difficult process to get
a school constructed, Minister, we plead that approvals for schools be expedited. Failure to
have school structures is not because parents don’t want schools nearby but it is due to these
laws that are slowing down the pegging processes,” she said.
Meanwhile, Minister Gumbo promised to engage with the relevant authority to ensure that
the challenges are attended to.

“I would like, therefore, to applaud the students from Mushagashe Vocational Training
Centre for leading the construction of the classroom block through the Community Skills
Outreach Programme as part of their industrial attachment. From the tour that we have
conducted, I have observed that the remaining works on the classroom block include addition
of a verandah, glazing and fitting of doors.
“The issue of suitable toilets for both teachers and learners has been brought to my attention.
Specifically, the dilapidated toilets are no longer fit for purpose and cannot adequately cater
for the 340 learners and nine teachers. I would like to assure you that my office will be
engaging the relevant authorities to ensure that these challenges are attended to,” he said.