admin…Four of its students help Zim win gold
…Dedicate triumph to their late colleagues
Tanaka Mahanya
IT won’t make up for its six beautiful flowers but, after days in which its soul has been tortured, there was some refreshing news for Tynwald High School.
Four of its students, who made up the Zimbabwe robotics team which won gold at the International Robotics Competition in Geneva, Switzerland, returned home yesterday.
The four were part of a six-member national team which beat teams from 183 other countries, to clinch gold.
The golden award was for developing innovative solutions to combat climate change, as part of the 2022 New Technology Experience.
Team Zimbabwe was made up of Tynwald students – Makanaka Chimiso, Tanatswa Taremba, Marlone Chipfakacha and Michael Mukwakwami.
Blessed Kutyauripo from Prince Edward and Rukudzo Mare from Bernard Mzeki were also part of the team.
Tynwald High School has been in mourning since Friday when news broke out that a bus carrying their students to Nyanga veered off the road and crashed, killing six pupils.
Speaking on arrival at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport yesterday, Chimiso, the only female member of the victorious team, said they were shocked and pained by the tragic deaths of their colleagues.
“It was very hard for us to focus after we heard that our friends had been involved in a fatal accident.
“Our attention was now divided but we managed to soldier on and resolved to win the competition in their honour.
“We, therefore, dedicate these six gold medals to the six angels we lost so tragically,” Chimiso said.
Team captain, Kutyauripo, said they were excited to return home as victors from the 183 innovative solutions presented to the adjudicators.
“I believe this is the beginning of robotics in Zimbabwe, and that the country will start to appreciate science,” said Kutyauripo.
The youngest team member, Taremba, 12, a Form 1 pupil, said he had learnt a lot from the competition.
“I believe this is only the beginning of my robotics career.
“I encourage other students who want to join the team to do so,” he said.
Charles Matanga, the team’s robotics coach, appealed to the Government to invest more in information technology.
“We want to train pupils to create jobs and employ others.
“We believe the future of any nation depends on science,” said Matanga.
Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services permanent secretary, Beaullar Chirume, said the Government was driving to improve accessibility to information technology to the rest of the country.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter