. . . pupils learn from shacks, drink river water
Isabel Ndlovu
ZVISHAVANE – Is Rupemba primary school still functioning? This is the question many people would first ask upon arrival at the school premises due to the ever deteriorating standards. Pupils are learning under trees and shacks and they risk water borne diseases like typhoid, diarhea and cholera as they drink water from the nearby river and other unprotected sources of water.
Walking into the school yard one is greeted by a smartly painted block with only two classrooms but the rest of the school is worrisome. There are shacks which are used as classrooms and the grass-thatched roofs need repair.
TellZim News established that pupils used to seat on the ground until Maxwell Moyo from Zvishavane popularly known as Chidhakwa donated furniture to the school. He further pledged to repair the furniture at his own cost if ever there was need to.
Charles Shava a local businessman donated a box of twelve 2Litre bottles of cooking oil, 50kg of beans and a case of salt for the feeding scheme. Enia Mazorodze an ECD teacher received the food stuffs and on behalf of the school thanked Shava.
“I would like to thank Shava for the donation. Our children were feeding on cabbage every day but I am happy they will change relish”, said Mazorodze.
However the Teacher In Charge (TIC) Judith Moyo was not reachable to give a comment on why the school was taking long to develop. However a close source told this publication that when Zvishavane Share Ownership Trust wanted to develop the school the District Administrator refused stating that the school was in Mberengwa not in Zvishavane.education
