Bulawayo, (New Ziana)-Private Public Partnerships (PPP) play a crucial role in the development of essential infrastructure as well as improving service delivery in cities and towns across the country, Bulawayo mayor David Coltart said on Tuesday.

He was speaking at the handover of an Early Childhood Development (ECD) classroom block at Queen Elizabeth II primary school in Cowdry Park.

The block, which was constructed to the tune of US$70 000, was constructed by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) with support from the Church Of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints in the form of brick work, roofing, tiling and equipping the block.

“This classroom is expected to help improve the delivery of education in our school. As a city, we value your partnership. Council notes that public private partnerships play a key role in the delivery of service. The equipping of this ECD block will greatly benefit our learners as they now have a fully functional purpose-built classroom block. As the local authority, we are humbled by the support and generous donation made by the church to this school and community,” said Coltart.

He commended the church for not just focusing on spiritual matters, but also responding  to community challenges and needs, adding lack of ECD blocks has been a challenge in most schools, affecting the delivery of education to early child learners.

“I am happy that the church saw it fit to construct this classroom block to help improve the quality of education, “said Coltart.

Coltart said the move would enhance the quality of education offered at the school in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SGD) number 4, that speaks to providing quality inclusive lifelong education, and commended the church for partnering the city in many programs.

The church also assisted in the construction and furnishing of an ECD block at Mkhithika Thebe primary school in the same suburb as well as four others including Cowdray Park Primary and Secondary Schools.

“We commend the church for being a partner in the development of education in Bulawayo particularly in the Cowdray Park suburb where there have been numerous calls to increase the number of schools and classrooms. I would also like  to acknowledge the role parents and guardians played in the development of our schools. The School Development Committee (SDC) initiated the construction of this ECD block that we are commissioning today but due to the harsh economic environment and non-payment of fees and levies by a majority of parents, the project stalled. The school then engaged our partners to assist us in the completion of this project,” said Coltart, imploring the community to safeguard the property so that it serves generations to come.

New Ziana