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Walter Mswazie, Masvingo Correspondent
COMMUNITIES have been challenged to assist Government in transforming satellite schools into established schools through infrastructure development.
Addressing thousands of parents and Zanu-PF supporters who had gathered to witness the commissioning of a classroom block at Harawe Primary School in Zano Village under Chief Chikwanda area on Friday, Masvingo North National Assembly member Cde Davis Marapira hailed parents for taking a leading role in improving access to education for their children.
Established in 2004 Harawe is a satellite primary school with an enrolment of 645 pupils. The school has Early Child Development (ECD) to Grade Seven classes and pupils share three blocks with six classrooms.
Parents contributed to build the new classroom block.
There are no adequate ablution facilities and the school also depends on untreated water from a nearby river thereby exposing pupils to water borne diseases.
Cde Marapira who is also Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister responsible for cropping provided paint for the block that was commissioned and all the required materials for the construction of a similar classroom block.
“I am elated to be associated with such a proactive community which has seen it fit not to wait for Government to build schools. As your MP I would want to congratulate you for the job well done. As communities and political leaders we should strive to develop these satellite schools into well-established schools so as to improve on access to education,” said Cde Marapira.
He hailed the school headmistress Mrs Sekai Wilson for maintaining a good relationship with parents which has seen the school developing.
“We appeal to the leadership to assist us in having good water and sanitation facilities. We want a borehole where our pupils can access clean water. We also have a few toilets as compared to our increasing number of pupils. Imagine our ECD classes have 120 children who share 25 squat holes. Our facilities are also not user friendly to pupils with disabilities,” said Mrs Wilson.
Masvingo Senator Cde Clemence Makwarimba said Zanu-PF was development oriented.
“We do little politics and expend most of our energy on development like what we have seen on Tokwe –Mukosi Dam and Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu dualisation. The two projects were commissioned by President Robert Mugabe marking a turning point for the development of Masvingo province,” said Cde Makwarimba.
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