Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
WHEN Hilton Sibanda, a Bulawayo-based bank manager, saw disturbing images of crumbling infrastructure at Milton High School circulating on social media, he initially dismissed them as fake — possibly generated by artificial intelligence. But curiosity and concern drove him back to the school that shaped six years of his life.
What he found left him deeply shaken.
“I had to drive to Milton and see for myself. The situation is far worse than I imagined,” said Sibanda, who attended the school from 2001 to 2006.
He said among the most disturbing sights was a derelict swimming pool.
“The swimming pool now resembles a giant crater rather than a training facility once meant to produce elite swimmers. A crumbling perimeter wall, at risk of collapse, poses a serious danger to pupils, while ceilings in some buildings are falling apart,” said Sibanda.
He said the images confirm what many former pupils have long feared — that one of Zimbabwe’s oldest and most prestigious boys’ schools has fallen into upsetting disrepair.
“Infrastructure at Milton has been deteriorating for years, but these pictures show that things have reached a crisis point. It pains me to see the condition of a school that gave me so much,” said Sibanda.
He blamed what he described as a lack of urgency and commitment by school authorities.
“Parents pay levies meant for maintenance, yet basic infrastructure has been neglected for years. Some of these repairs don’t even require ministry approval or huge amounts of money. Where there is a will, there is a way,” said Sibanda.
Efforts to get a comment from Milton High headmaster Similo Ncube were unsuccessful since school heads are not permitted to speak to the media without approval from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
Founded in 1910, Milton High School is among Zimbabwe’s most respected learning institutions and was once ranked alongside Prince Edward School in Harare. Last year, it marked its 115th anniversary, celebrating outstanding academic, sporting and cultural achievements.
At the commemorations, former pupil and guest of honour Mr Patrick Maseko, ZB Bank executive head of innovation, challenged learners to uphold Milton’s legacy of leadership, discipline and service.
Despite past alumni interventions, including the donation of a high-capacity borehole, former students say the school’s decline has continued unchecked.
In previous addresses, Ncube acknowledged the decay, saying the administration was working to restore Milton’s former status.
“Milton is one of the oldest architectures we have in Zimbabwe and it was once a first-class school alongside Prince Edward in Harare but now it’s a ramshackle. Our goal has been to rebrand Milton Boys High and return it to its former glory,” he said.
However, critics say little has changed.
Former pupil Stanislaus Rukato called for stronger alumni involvement, while others have suggested restructuring the school’s governance model to restore standards.
“Community involvement that entails encouraging local businesses and parents to get involved in school activities is key to the revival of Milton High School,” he said.
On the Milton Old Boys Association Facebook page, frustration is mounting, with former students openly questioning leadership and the misuse of school facilities.
“Milton High must be changed to a semi-private school and the standards will start to improve and gradually it will reclaim its former glory. Gentlemen, are things that bad at Milton High that our beloved cricket fields near the squash courts are now a hay bales selling area? Other schools are developing by putting palisade fencing and durawalls while Milton High degrades itself further,” said Brighton Dube.
One former student quipped: “For interest’s sake, how much in rent is the school getting from the owner of the hay bales company?”
