Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
BUSINESSMAN Dr Leonard Mukumba has been praised for his investment in education following the opening of the state-of-the-art St Leonard Academy in Sally Mugabe Heights yesterday.
The project, described as a major milestone for the community, is being viewed as a successful manifestation of the public-private partnership model aimed at narrowing the country’s infrastructure gap.
Speaking as guest of honour at the ceremony, Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Tino Machakaire praised Dr Mukumba for aligning his business interests with the National Development Strategy (NDS1).
“Today we are here at St Leonard’s Academy whereby one of our own is also an entrepreneur. He has built a very nice school. This is what we are supporting and this is what we want as a nation. And I want to thank Dr Leonard Mukumba for doing such a wonderful job,” Minister Machakaire said.
He characterised the latest milestone as a clear indicator that the private sector is instrumental in realising the objectives of Vision 2030. The Minister said Government could not bridge the educational infrastructure gap alone and the private sector should continue investing in education.
“We don’t have enough schools, but if we have stakeholders and the private sector coming up with infrastructure development, this is what we want. It is a collective approach whereby the society and the Government move together to develop our country,” he added.
Dr Mukumba, who serves as the school’s director, revealed that the decision to build the academy was a response to the logistical challenges faced by local families.
“I initially planned to construct a shopping mall here, but I later realised that the community lacked schools, forcing children to commute to Harare for their lessons. So, I decided to bring a school closer to them. I am not stopping there, as part of my commitment to giving back to the community, I am going to construct new schools in Matabeleland, Masvingo, Manicaland and other provinces.
“My ultimate goal is to build a school in every province before 2028, supporting the President’s vision of achieving an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.”
He also added that he is going to construct new service roads in Sally Mugabe Heights as part of giving back to the community.
Meanwhile, local residents have welcomed the development, saying the school’s establishment has enhanced the area’s landscape.
“This is the first school in our community,” said Arnold Chitiyo. “We are thrilled that this project has not only transformed the neighbourhood, but has also led to road improvements. Starting next term, our children can simply walk to school, finally ending the burden of daily commuting.”
Tendai Gupira, another local resident, was equally excited: “The start of each school term used to be a major source of stress for everyone here, but we are now breathing a sigh of relief. We are especially grateful that the school is inclusive; they are welcoming all students regardless of prior results and haven’t imposed strict cut-off units.”
The school will start teaching next year, offering classes from early childhood development through high school.
