Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
PRIMARY and Secondary Education Deputy Minister, Honourable Angeline Gata, this morning commended a learner-built vehicle at Chibuwe Technical High School.
The light motor buggy was designed and assembled by 18-year-old Tinotenda Mapipi, who completed his ZIMSEC Ordinary Level examinations at the school last year.
The petrol-powered vehicle, converted from a motorbike and built largely with motorcycle parts, is a testament to youthful ingenuity and practical application of classroom knowledge.
Deputy Minister Gata inspected the vehicle and interacted with Tinotenda, praising him for using education to address real community challenges.
“This is exactly the kind of innovation we want to see from our learners. Education must empower our children to identify problems in their communities and provide practical solutions,” she said.
She added that Chibuwe Technical High School is demonstrating the critical role of technical and vocational skills in national development.
“As a Ministry, we are proud to see a learner producing a functional vehicle while still at school. This confirms that our Heritage-based Curriculum is bearing fruit,” noted Deputy Minister Gata.
Tinotenda explained that his motivation came from transport difficulties in Chibuwe, particularly the challenges residents face when travelling to the local clinic.
“I developed it after seeing transport challenges here in Chibuwe, especially when people want to visit the clinic. Sometimes people struggle to get reliable transport,” he said.
The compact vehicle carries one passenger in the front seat and two in the cargo bed. It runs on petrol and is fitted with a 15-litre fuel tank.
Tinotenda said the project began as an experiment, but gradually evolved into a working prototype.
“At first, it was just an idea. I wanted to see if I could transform a motorbike into something that could carry more people. After several adjustments and testing, it finally worked,” he explained.
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