By Gift Gwindingwe

In a significant step towards educational transformation, Jenya High School in Chivi North’s Ward 5 constructed a 1000-seater multi-purpose theatre aimed at promoting both psychological and physiological well-being of learners, while aligning with the expectations of the newly-introduced Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC).
The theatre, though modest in appearance, is a beacon of innovation for the medium-sized rural school with an enrolment of approximately 550 learners and 24 established teachers.
The development was led by the forward-thinking leadership of young, industrious and vibrant school head, Tinashe Rubaya with support from the staff and parents as well as the leaners.
Pitched on steel poles with a corrugated iron roof and open sides, the theatre combines simplicity with functionality. Its paved floors are designed with architectural precision to allow for effective drainage during rainfall, ensuring the comfort of learners throughout all seasons.
Speaking to TellZim News, Rubaya emphasized the importance of creating an environment beneficial to learner welfare.
“As a school, we aim to cater for the physiological welfare of our learners at all costs, that’s why we constructed this theatre that will serve as an assembly point and a modern study center among other uses.
Apart from serving as a gathering space, Rubaya said the theatre also serve as a hub of academic activity.
“With strong WiFi connectivity enabled by a Star Link facility installed at the administration block, the space becomes a vibrant study Centre during lessons. ‘A’ Level teachers often use the venue to facilitate online research and collaborative learning,” said Rubaya.
Looking ahead, Mr. Rubaya outlined a bold vision for the school saying the theatre would cultivate a culture of reading as the school prepares for the introduction of hard sciences.
“The theatre will go a long way in cultivating a culture of reading in our learners. We want to introduce hard sciences beginning next year, (2026). We have the capacity and the potential as a team.
However, the investment in digital infrastructure does not end with the theatre. The school’s administration block and its Computer and Innovation room have also been equipped with the Star Link combo, ensuring robust internet access for both staff and students.
“In this era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), we want to ensure maximum adoption of ICT but with the sole focus of domesticating social media to create content that best suits the learners’ lived experiences. We want to curb over-excitement that comes with social media exposure. We redirect the excitement into meaningful learning that advances the goals of the HBC so that our learners appreciate both the wider and their local environments,” he said.
Commenting on the theatre, the deputy head Leonard Musiteri, concurred saying the school valued the importance of having assemblies so they did not want that to be affected by weather.
“We always want to have meaningful assemblies that are not disrupted by rains during the rainy season. We also want to protect learners from the heat that withers their energy away that is why we have this structure,” said Musiteri.
The senior teacher Happiness Chipako said cleanliness was a virtue at the school and they had installed a hand-washing facility for use by all, promoting cleanliness among teachers, learners, and visitors.
“We want to make sure that cleanliness is a virtue here at Jenya High School. The hand-washing facility is relevant to the HBC which promotes cultural continuity and public health to ensure the overall well-being of Jenya High School staff and learners,” Chipako.
The developments at Jenya High are not ordinarily symbolic but tell a practical story of what the 4th Industrial Revolution demands in innovation, digital literacy, and rural empowerment.
Such grassroots efforts demonstrate that the seeds of national industrialization and innovation are sown early in schools that understand and operate in line with the mission and vision of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

By Tatiana Mhararira

Civil Society Organizations in Masvingo are calling for the government and other interested organizations to increase awareness on the Africa Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) in Zimbabwe.
The charter, which Zimbabwe is a signatory to, aims to promote democratic governance, transparency, accountability, and peaceful elections. However, many citizens are unaware of its existence and provisions.
This came out during a community engagement meeting recently held in Masvingo organized by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), bringing together stakeholders from various Civil Society Organizations, including Women’s Coalition in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Human Rights, Progressive Teachers Union in Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development Trust (COTRAD), Rural Unity for Development Organization (RUDO), and Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP).
Speaking at the meeting, ZESN Advocacy Officer Ethel Muchena said the ACDEG sought to promote several aspects within nations so there was need for Zimbabweans to be aware of the charter so that they will be able to hold office bearers to account.
“Citizens should know about ACDEG because it equips them with the knowledge of agreed principles by the African Union for the betterment of good governance, ACDEG enables people to demand the implementation of the charter in their countries and it also enables citizens to demand the alignment of ACDEG principles with domestic laws,” said Muchena.
Kudzai Gwitire of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe suggested that ZESN should take lead in increasing access to ACDEG information through social media.
“Information should be shared on all social media platforms, and key takeaways from meetings should be shared with those who did not attend,” Gwitire said.
The ACDEG charter was adopted in 2007 and has been signed by 46 countries, with 39 ratifying it. Zimbabwe’s signing of the charter underscores the need for citizens to understand its provisions and promote democratic processes in the country.
By increasing awareness about ACDEG, Zimbabweans can hold their leaders accountable and promote good governance.
Participants agreed that wherever they do their programming, they should take it upon themselves to spread knowledge to citizens about the charter.
The charter also demands each member country to send a report after every two year and the participants also suggested that there was need to find a way for COS to compile a parallel report as well.

By Brighton Chiseva

A school bus accident involving a Mapanzure Secondary School bus hired out for a Zanu PF programme in 2022 has ignited a firestorm of discontent among parents of Mapanzure High School, exposing deeper concerns over the institution’s management and fuelling a growing rift between parents and the school administration.
A planned demonstration by parents at the school, on Wednesday June 11, was averted after Muchakata Police intervened and mediated the situation. The parents had been planning to protest over several grievances concerning the school’s management and development.
The school head Clapos Chauraya confirmed the incident when contacted for comment by TellZim News and said the police saved the situation.
He said parents had some grievances and they would sit down to iron them out.
“The parents came probably with the intention to demonstrate over some grievances they had, however, the police intervened and stopped them. So we are going to engage them and address the concerns which involve the school bus,” said Chauraya.
The parents accuse the school head of giving Zanu PF their bus which was brought through bus levy and Zanu PF failed to account for it.
They were concerned about the decline of developmental projects at the school citing the decline of the cattle project, which they claimed had been allowed to die down. This, they argued, was symptomatic of a broader lack of development and investment in the school’s infrastructure and programs.
“There is no development at the school and we are worried, we used to have a cattle project but the beasts died and some ended up being taken for beef committees and that is a result of poor management by the school authority,” said one parent.
Another issue that sparked outrage among parents was the closure of A-level classes due to poor enrolment. The parents attributed this to declining academic results and a lack of development at the school, which they believed had led to a loss of confidence in the institution among the community.
“The school explained that learners were now preferring to go straight to college after O level and that resulted in poor enrolment. We understood this but the few who want to go for A level no longer have confidence in the school and would opt for better schools,” said another parent.
Parents also allege that some A-level teachers were often absent from school premises during school hours, with some reportedly spotted at local shops since they nolonger have classes.
They also complained about the school vehicle that was involved in another accident a few weeks ago and they claim the school did not even notify the parents adding to their frustrations.
However, despite the tensions, a meeting between parents and school authorities yesterday led to a breakthrough where the school administration allegedly agreed to convene a meeting to address the parents’ grievances and provide explanations on all the issues raised.
“The school agreed to convene a meeting and explain issues to us and we are looking forward to it, if they address all our concerns we would map a way forward.

By Brigton Chiseva

In a shocking incident, the Johanne Marange apostolic sect has been accused of trying to conceal the death of a teenage bride, suspected to be 13 years of age, who allegedly died due to pregnancy complications in Bhaki Village, Hwendedzo area of Chief Musara, Masvingo.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the incident and said investigations were underway.
“We have a report of a case where a girldied due to pregnancy complications, however, her age is yet to be ascertained and investigations are underway,” said Inspector Dhewa.
Bhaki Village head Trust Bake, confirmed the death to TellZim News. However, he expressed uncertainty about the age of the deceased as well, stating that she was one of the many wives of a sect member, but he didn’t know her exact position among the wives.
“I can confirm that we have such a case in my village, however, I do not stay in the village always so I do not know the child and even her position in the polygamous marriage, I just know that her alleged husband has many wives,” said Bake.
He went on to say the police were seized with the matter but he was aware that they violated the corpse by operating the dead body to remove the fetus before burying the two separately.
“According to our tradition, you cannot bury a pregnant person with the fetus in her, so they went on to separate the two but I do not know who exactly did the operation and how they did it. What I am sure of is that they were buried separately as per our norms,” said Bake.
Police sources revealed that the parents of the deceased claimed that she was 18 years old when she got married and 19 at the time of death, also alleging that she had no birth certificate.
“When the police visited the area to do investigations, the family claimed that she was 18 when she got married and died at the age of 19. They failed to prove that since she had no birth certificate.
“So the police are now investigating the matter to establish the number of children the deceased’s father had and ascertain the ages of each and see where the deceased fits. There are also high chances that they lied even about the name,” said the source.
Another source said the police needed to be more vigilant as it was difficult to penetrate the sect members to get information.
“The sect and family members are so secretive to the extent that no one from the local knows who even performed the operation, they all claim not to know anything but the incident happened within. So the police need to be very vigilant to establish the truth,” said the source.
The incident happened barely four years after an almost similar incident happened in Marange area that sent shockwaves across the country.
In 2021, 14 year old Anna Machaya was forced out of school while doing Form One in Mhondoro to get married to Evans Momberume.
This was despite the fact that according to the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the legal age of consent for sexual activity is 16, while the minimum age for marriage is 18.
Machaya died while giving birth causing outrage among citizens and rights activists on social media. The United Nations in Zimbabwe issued a statement condemning the circumstances leading to the death of Anna Machaya.
The Hwendedzo incident sparked outrage and raised concerns about the treatment of young girls within the sect and the need for deterrent measures to be put in place to protect the girl child.

By Langton Chikaka

This installment looks at the philosophy underpinning a Heritage Based Curriculum, explores its key features , identifies the key competences in HBC and outlines the methods which school teachers may employ in the teaching of science and Math subjects.
A Heritage – Based Curriculum ( HBC) integrates local culture, history and values in education, promoting cultural preservation, identity and relevance. By incorporating traditional knowledge and community involvement, the Heritage based curriculum fosters a holistic learning experience that honors the past while preparing learners for the future.

Key features of the Heritage- Based Education
Here are some key features of the Heritage’s Heritage- Based Curriculum.
1. Enhanced relevance and engagement
2. Deepening of Science concepts
3. Connecting to local contexts and exploring indigenous knowledge systems. It should be borne in mind that the Heritage-Based approach focuses on : (I) knowledge, that is the ability to acquire, understand and apply fundamental ideas and theories within a learning area. Further, the focus is understanding, analysis, evaluation, hands on activities, problem solving, integration and recognition that knowledge is always evolving. (ii) Skills Practical abilities that enable learners to perform tasks effectively. These skills may be cognitive, technical, interpersonal, self management and research skills. (iii) Values
4. Values are principles and beliefs that guide behavior and decision making. Key aspects include integrity, respect , responsibility, empathy, social justice and life long learning.

Contextualizing Science and Math
1. Cultural relevance: Incorporate local and indigenous knowledge, examples, and case studies to make science and math more relevant and engaging.
2. Traditional practices: Explore the scientific and mathematical principles underlying traditional practices, such as agriculture, medicine, or architecture.
Integrating Heritage and Culture
1. Storytelling: Use stories and legends from local cultures to illustrate scientific and mathematical concepts.
2. Cultural artifacts: Use cultural artifacts, such as traditional tools or instruments, to demonstrate scientific and mathematical principles.
Project-Based Learning
1. Community-based projects: Assign projects that require students to apply scientific and mathematical concepts to real-world problems in their community.
2. Cultural preservation: Encourage students to explore and document traditional practices and knowledge related to science and math.
Hands-on Activities
1. Traditional crafts: Incorporate traditional crafts, such as weaving or pottery, to teach scientific and mathematical concepts, such as geometry and measurement.
2. Indigenous technologies Explore the scientific and mathematical principles underlying indigenous technologies, such as irrigation systems or navigation tools.

Collaboration and Community Engagement
1. Community involvement: Involve local community members, elders, or experts in teaching and learning processes.
2. Interdisciplinary approaches: Collaborate with other subjects, such as language, social studies, or arts, to provide a holistic understanding of science and math in a cultural context.

Benefits
1. Increased relevance: Makes science and math more relevant and meaningful to students’ lives.
2. Cultural preservation: Helps preserve local knowledge, traditions, and cultural heritage.
3. Improved engagement: Increases student engagement and motivation by connecting science and math to their cultural background.

By incorporating these effective teaching methods, educators can make science and math more accessible, relevant, and engaging for students in a heritage-based
curriculum.

The writer is an experienced administrator since 2005. He has worked and served as a school head at Mutauto, Holy Family secondary schools. Chapwanya, Hande and Makumbe High Schools. He is the c urrent Head Zimuto RCZ High School. He is former Provincial Head in Charge responsible for English Language and Foreign Languages from 2023 -2025. He is a holder of a diploma in Education, Bachelor of Education, Master of Business Administration and many other certificates and diplomas in administration.