ZAKA –
Work has already started at Mudzara Secondary School site at Chirambabango in
Mudzara Village under Chief Nyakunhuwa in Zaka West where the community is
working together to expand access to education.
The
community has mobilized its own resources and is using other resources from the
Member of Parliament (MP) through
Constituency Development Fund (CDF)
The
site has been cleared, with the foundation and footing of the first block
having been completed with the assistance of the community which is providing free
labor.
The
School Development Committee (SDC) Chairperson Joel Makwinye said he was
pleased by the level of buy-in from the local community as well as the team
work at play.
“Work
has started and we now want to raise the box. If all the pledges that have been
made are fulfilled, we will be able to complete the first block soon,” said
Makwinye.
Zaka
West MP Ophias Murambiwa said he was happy with the dedication the local
community showed when he visited the site this week to assess progress.
“I
am proud of the Mudzara community. The builders are working voluntarily and the
community should make sure that when paying projects come, these guys should be
put first,” said Murambiwa.
Committee
is mobilizing resources from well-wishers from the locality and abroad. The
process to open a bank account and an EcoCash Biller Code for monetary donations
are in progress.
During
the ground-breaking ceremony, a number of pledges were done by Zanu PF MPs and councillors
who are in support of their colleague Murambiwa.
The
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development, who is also Zaka East MP
Clemence Chiduwa pledged 100 bags of cement while Chiredzi West MP Farai
Musikavanhu pledged to bear the roofing costs of the first classroom block.
Masvingo
South MP Claudious Maronge and his Zaka North counterpart Robson Mavhenyengwa
donated 10 bags of cement each.
Zaka
district Ward 13 Councillor Manfred Mada pledged 10 bags while Masvingo
district Ward 5 Councillor Aleta Makomeke and Chivi Central MP Ephraim
Gwanongodza pledged five bags of cement each.
The
ground-breaking ceremony for the school was done in August last year with the Minister
of State for Provincial Affairs Ezra Chadzamira.
Chadzamira
ordered all those responsible for the construction see to it that the school is
ready for the first school term of year 2021 but nothing moved with speed as
had been expected.
“If
anybody from Education hasn’t done what they should do in terms of this school,
they should do the job now,” said Chadzamira.
He
ordered the responsible authority, Zaka Rural District Council to sink two
boreholes as a matter of urgency so that the water could be used during
construction.
Zaka
RDC Chief Executive officer (CEO) David Majaura said council will help in any
way possible to make the project a success.
“We
support the community projects and we will chip in and help when we get
resources. We will have to make sure that we provide water among other things
as we have been doing on other schools. The project has a budget on the 2021
devolution funds and I am sure that will go a long way,” said Majaura.