Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
BEITBRIDGE residents have appealed to Government and its partners to consider setting up vocational training centres and institutions of higher learning in the border town to improve access to education and training.
The district, that has an estimated population of 300 000, has no such facility and those interested in pursuing higher education travel to Gwanda, Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo, Harare and neighbouring South Africa.
In separate interviews, residents said youths are turning to crime and drug abuse due to lack of opportunities.
“We are very concerned and our appeal is for investors to consider setting up such facilities to address the challenges our children are facing,” said Pastor Andile Nyathi.
He said a lot of people are willing to further their studies but are discouraged by lack of such facilities.
“It is important that youths have full access to such facilities where they can develop themselves as effective human resources or even life skills at vocational training centres,” said Pastor Nyathi.
Beitbridge Mayor, Councillor Munyaradzi Chitsunge, said the opening of vocational training centres or colleges was long overdue.
He said the local authority is equally concerned and has been engaging a number of higher learning facilities to open even campuses in the town to cater for the Beitbridge community.
“It’s a long overdue project. Most of the children from Beitbridge are experiencing a difficult life in other towns especially on accommodation, if they can’t get resident accommodation within some colleges and universities.
“In other instances, some have had to go to South African colleges which are very expensive not because they can afford, but they would have failed to secure places at colleges in other towns inland,” said Clr Chitsunge.
Miss Patience Moyo of Tshithaudze suburb said female students were the worst affected by the current state of affairs in the town. She said many of them were easily giving up on their dreams because of the unavailability of facilities.
Those, from generally poor families, she said were finding the going tough on issues of keeping up with exorbitant accommodation, general upkeep costs while in other urban areas.
“The establishment of colleges or universities in our district will be a great blessing for the community. A lot of our good O and A-level graduates decide to shelve and go for hustling after making bus fare calculations and realising losses,” she said.
A youth development champion, Miss Thandeka Mukandatsama said the hardest hit people were those in rural communities of the district.
She said there are a lot of spill-over economic benefits that community members and businesses could exploit with the opening of institutions of higher education.
“Such a development will promote community development especially the rural community as they now have easier access to higher learning. There are a lot of opportunities that will come with this project like employment and enriching the local culture,” she added.
Ms Tsamelengi Nyagomo of Mugwazhuli area, said the establishment of more education facilities would motivate many youth and enhance the transition from high school to professional training. -@tupeyo
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