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Michael Magoronga Midlands Bureau
CONSTRUCTION of the new Globe and Phoenix Primary School, after the old school had to close when illegal miners undermined the foundations, starts soon at a new site.
The original school was decommissioned earlier this year after a classroom block caved in due to underground mining tunnels dug by illegal gold miners, and this resulted in scores of learners being injured.
President Mnangagwa recently said the construction of the school should be fast-tracked to allow a decent learning environment for the affected children.
About 1 300 learners are presently camped in the grounds of Sally Mugabe Primary School where they are learning in tents provided by the Civil Protection Unit.
Following the disaster, Kuvimba Mining House donated the needed land for the construction of the new school.
Kwekwe District Civil Protection Unit Chairman, Mr Fortune Mpungu, said lessons started well at the camp ground. “Yes they (learners) are still there and lessons are going on well. All our teams are on the ground to ensure that lessons go on well,” he said.
Mr Mpungu said they are going through the legal and administrative processes needed to start the building.
“We are almost there and I am sure within the next few weeks we should be seeing progress at the new school site. We did a land survey through the physical planning department and also requested for an offer letter from Kuvimba which we have since been given,” he said.
A request for a change of land use from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development was also granted.
“Now, the Ministry of Mines and the department of physical planning in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works are doing the pegging and inspecting of the land. We wait for a detailed report from them after which work at the new site begins,” said Mr Mpungu.
He said resource mobilisation was already in full swing with the local business community having already pledged support to build the new school.
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