Chronicle Editor
Amanda Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
IT was pomp and fanfare in Matobo North as Bhazha Primary School in Ward 18 celebrated 100 years of existence with the institution commissioning an accommodation block for teachers and the handing over of a 5 000-litre tank of water by Unicef.
The school, which has an enrolment of 613 students was founded by the United Congregation Churches of Southern Africa (UCCSA) in 1923. The headmaster of the school, Mr Issac Dube, gave a brief the history of the school.
“This school was opened when this country was still called Rhodesia; this was a place where the Kalanga people used to stay hence the name of the school. It was opened by Rev Joshua Danisa,a missionary at the time,” said Mr Dube.
He said the school boasts of outstanding students like Mr Khulekani Khupe who played tennis and reached the national level.
“We can never count all our outstanding achievements in one day but in 1974 the school received the Secretary’s Bell Award and in 1997 it received the Secretary’s Merit Award,” said Mr Dube.
The guest of honour at the event, Mr Thulani Ndlovu who is in his final stages of completing his doctorate was born and bred in Bhazha Village and took up his studies at Harare Polytechnic and the National University of Science and Technology.
“I am here to challenge all of you to work hard in your studies and ensure you get to be the person you want to be. The Government has been talking of human capital development in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and it comes through education starting at the lowest level of primary going to secondary and then tertiary. To students, all I am going to say is that all that you have heard about me, you can also do it and you can even do much better than me,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He encouraged young people to pursue their dreams and desist from engaging in anti-social behaviour. He also called on parents to identify talents in their children so that they can encourage them to take up professions in those fields.
He said the school should also abide by the President Mnangagwa’s instructive philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind. The school alumni were also present to celebrate with the school. The event ended with the commissioning of donated water source of 5 000L of water by Unicef and a five-roomed cottage for teachers.
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