Vusumuzi Dube
Clementine Phulu, Sunday News Reporter
BUBI Rural District Council (RDC) in Matabeleland North Province is appealing for assistance from development partners to rebuild storm-damaged schools in the district and improve the learning environment.
A number of schools in Bubi District were damaged by storms last year while others fell victim to the vagaries of climate change-induced rains this year and council has been struggling to make effective repairs.
Council has since managed to restore the roof that was blown off at Emahlabathini Primary School.
Bubi RDC chief executive officer Dr Patson Mlilo said the rebuilding of the schools was still a challenge and the council was overwhelmed as a lot of the schools’ infrastructure was seriously destroyed by the storms.
“We have just replaced the roof at Emahlabathini Primary School and we are currently looking for money to repair some of the damages, including the ones at Mbembeswana Primary School.
We are also looking for development partners to assist us with the rehabilitation of these schools. While at that, we are considering the possibility of getting insurance for all of our infrastructure. We need to insure them against recurrent harsh weather phenomena that is becoming more common than before,” he said.
Last year in November, Mbembeswana Primary School lost textbooks and exercise books worth more than US$2 000 when the zinc roofing sheets were blown away by the strong winds accompanying the rains and furniture including desks and chairs soaked in water.
This incident came at a time when the school was in the process of building another classroom block which it started in 2016 and renovating other classrooms.
Some learners were left with no learning facilities and were squeezed into the other remaining classrooms. Dr Mlilo said their efforts were part of measures to militate against the district recording poor pass rates.
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