A 23-year-old Matshetsheni dream becomes reality

FOR 23 years, land reserved for the construction of a secondary school in Wililisa Village, Matshetsheni area in Matabeleland South Province, has slowly turned into densely vegetated grazing pastures for livestock.

The closest two secondary schools for children of Wililisa Village and the surrounding communities are more than 15 kilometres away.

Villages of Wililisa had long lobbied authorities to construct a secondary school in their ward to reduce the long distances that their children walk to and from school to pursue their studies, but that dream remained unfulfilled for more than two decades.

When Gwanda North constituency shadow Member of Parliament and Zanu-PF politician Cde Lungasani Costa Ncube heard about the harrowing stories of children walking close to 30 kilometres per day to school and back home, he did not think twice about turning a 23-year-old dream into reality.

Cde Ncube recently toured the construction site of Wililisa Secondary School, where a classroom block that will house four classes is now at roof level, ablution facilities are complete, and staff quarters for teachers are at foundation level.

“Since 2002, villagers of Wililisa had nothing but a piece of land to show where Wililisa Secondary School would be built.

“Their biggest concern was that the unavailability of a local secondary school forces their children to drop out of school, he said.

“For the few children who persevere and finish O-level, the pass rate is very low, and that is not surprising given the long distances that they walk to the nearest secondary schools,” Cde Ncube told Zimpapers.

He said he was following the instructions of President Mnangagwa for businesspeople to plough back into local communities by helping the Government accelerate developmental projects.

Cde Ncube is a respected gold miner in Matabeleland South Province.

“I’m simply doing what our leader, President Mnangagwa, has told us to assist and give back to our local communities. Education is key to the development of the country and I believe that the children of Wililisa Village deserve to be given equal opportunities to also make it in life,” he said.

“The toilets are complete, and we expect the roofing for the classroom block to be done soon. The villagers have already finished digging the foundation for the teachers’ cottages, and construction will start in earnest so that our deadlines are met.

“Working together with the villagers has been a great experience as they are hands-on and want to see the secondary school completed very soon.”

Mrs Juliet Khumalo could not hide her excitement over the project’s impact.

“I used to wake up around 3 AM to walk my eldest granddaughter to Zvukwe Secondary School, which is about 18km from here. It was a daily routine that I had gotten used to, although it took a strain on my body.

“It was not safe to let my grandchild walk that distance in the early morning, sometimes when it was still dark, especially in winter,” said Mrs Khumalo.

Long walking distances are a major contributor to high rates of school dropouts and the construction of a secondary school in Wililisa Village will reverse the trend, according to veteran educator and local primary school head Mr Themba Ndlovu.

“Government policy is that no child must walk more than 5km to school. Research has shown that children who walk very long distances to school either drop out or do not do well in class,” he said.

“Having both a primary and secondary school in the same ward will motivate children to stay in school and finish their secondary education. With time, it will be ideal for the Wililisa Secondary to upgrade into a high school.”

Villagers are contributing to the completion of the secondary school by offering free labour and building materials such as river sand that they get from local waterways.

“Cde Ncube plays the biggest role in buying building materials and paying the builders, while villagers also do their part. It took us just a few days to dig the foundation for the teachers’ cottages and next week we will start clearing land for football and netball fields,” said Mr Martin Maphosa, the school development committee chairman.

Cde Ncube’s dedication to the welfare of the people of Gwanda North is evident through his ongoing efforts to address pressing challenges in the area, including water shortages, unemployment, and poor infrastructure.

Beyond these efforts, he has also been active in improving the educational infrastructure in Gwanda North by undertaking significant renovations at Sibhula Primary and Secondary Schools.

He renovated classroom blocks, fixed toilets, painted both schools inside and out, and constructed sports facilities such as basketball and tennis courts for the secondary school. The renovations, which cost around US$15,000, were aimed at improving the learning environment for students.