Source: The Chronicle – Breaking news
Kwekwe City CouncilMichael Magoronga, magorongamk@gmail.com
STAKEHOLDERS in Kwekwe in the Midlands Province have launched a fundraising campaign to raise at least US$200 000 to kick-start the construction of Globe and Phoenix Primary School.
The school was decommissioned earlier this year after a classroom block collapsed into an underground mining tunnel due to illegal gold mining activities.
The incident resulted in several pupils being injured hence the decision to decommission the school.
The school’s 1 300 pupils were moved to Sally Mugabe Primary School grounds where they were accommodated in tents.
The tents were however, blown off following heavy rains accompanied by strong winds that pounded the mining town at the start of this rainy season leaving pupils and teachers stranded.
Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Affairs Minister Owen Ncube recently commissioned the piece of land donated by Kuvimba Mining for the construction of the new school and directed that the project be fast-tracked.
Government has made a commitment to fund the construction of the school but stakeholders led by Kwekwe City Council, have since launched a drive to raise funds aimed at starting the construction of ablution facilities and classroom blocks to enable pupils to move to the site by next month.
Kwekwe City Council converted its traditional annual Mayor’s Cheer Fund into a Globe and Phoenix fundraising event to raise funds and resources for the school.
Speaking during the event, Kwekwe District Development Co-ordinator Mr Fortune Mpungu said it is the duty of the whole community to ensure that the children have a safe and conducive learning environment.
“It takes the whole village to raise a child hence this event’s prime objective is to raise funds and other resources for the construction of Globe and Phoenix Primary School. The coming together of Government departments, business community and stakeholders led by our local authorities, is indeed commendable and should set the tone for what should be done to ensure a state-of-the-art school is constructed within a record time,” he said.
Mr Mpungu, who also chairs the Civil Protection Committee said the pupils were left traumatised when the classroom block collapsed.
“The pupils have been traumatised and the only way they can heal is for us to provide a safe and convenient shelter for their learning. I therefore, believe that we are going to meet the initial target of US$200 000 for the construction of the state-of-the-art school which upon completion should be a school of choice for all our children,” he said.
Kwekwe Mayor Councillor Albert Zinhanga said they were taking the issue of constructing the school seriously hence the decision to forgo the Mayor’s Cheer Fund to fundraise for the project.
He said as a local authority they cannot watch while children continue to learn under tents.
“The situation at Sally Mugabe Primary School is unattainable hence we need a long-term solution. The resources we are going to raise today will ensure that we kick-start the project while we wait for the Government to come in,” he said.
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