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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
BORN and bred in Lusulu, Binga District, Matabeleland North Province, Mr Kabome Land Siansole is passionate about the development of his home area.
Mr Siansole (51) a former teacher, was appointed Binga District Coordinator (DDC) in January this year and is in charge of coordinating Government programmes in the area.
Having taught in the district for more than 20 years, he contends that he knows Binga like the back of his hand hence he is the right man to coordinate the transformation of the district to the expectations of Government.
Mr Siansole cut his teeth at Kariyangwe High School as a teacher, a school where he did his secondary education before moving to the neighbouring Fatima High School where he did his Advanced Level.
After A-level, he returned to Kariyangwe as a temporary teacher. He trained at Chinhoyi Technical Teachers’ College and returned to the same school in 2001 as a qualified teacher.
“I remember I was teaching all commercial subjects because I was teaching Office Practice, Accounts and so forth and this was in 2001. I introduced commercial subjects like Accounts, Commerce and Economics in these remote schools. I’m happy to say some of my students are now in Italy, New Zealand, Australia and other places,” said Mr Siansole.
He said he was promoted to head Siansundu Secondary School in 2010 where he found the pass rate hovering at two percent but during his tenure it rose to 35 percent.
Mr Siansole said he also managed to develop the infrastructure at the school and in 2017 he was transferred to Binga High School, where his magic also improved the pass rate.
“Because of the improved pass rate, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education seconded me to head Binga High School whose standards were now low. I made sure that the pass rate increased from 18 percent to 37 percent through instilling discipline at the school.
I also addressed the issue of pass rate as well as the infrastructure. If you go there most of the classrooms are tiled and it’s one of the schools in Binga District which is well developed,” said Mr Siansole.A holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Mr Siansole who is also a farmer in his home area in Lusulu, was at the beginning of 2022 appointed DDC for Binga, a district known lack of for development.
Mr Siansole said he believes that his passion for the development of Binga is what prompted Government to appoint him Binga DDC.
He said soon after his appointment he swiftly moved to engage the local traditional leadership to create a rapport. “I have managed to create a good relationship between village heads and chiefs. Remember in Binga we have 17 chiefs and I visited all the 17 chiefs to hear their concerns. To hear about the projects in their particular areas so that when we come to implement and when partners come, I will be knowing that Siamsanga Village needs a borehole at this point, they need a clinic and all that infrastructure to spur development,” he said.
“The other advantage is that because I come from the same Binga District they know that they have their own child working for them. Wherever people meet they will be free, they will be able to tell me what they want unlike someone who they don’t know.
Even when they meet me on the road, they stop me and tell me their concerns. So, I don’t wait to be in the office to start working.”
Mr Siansole said the job is so demanding that sometimes at midnight he will still be in the office to push the development trajectory.
He said even when he travels to important meetings outside the district when he returns, he makes sure that he passes by the office to check for important mail that would have been sent to his desk.
Mr Siansole said he holds frank discussions with his subordinates to inspire to provide service to the public.
He said he was privileged to have made a presentation to President Mnangagwa on how to uplift the district. Following his visit in April, President Mnangagwa directed various Government departments to implement development projects for Binga.
“I was happy to be privileged for the first time to interact with His Excellency when he visited Binga. I was made to make a presentation to him on what the district wants the Government to do for it. That is when I mentioned the 16 projects that we want to see developed like the school of nursing, polytechnic, Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation to function, the border post and the rehabilitation of Siabuwa-Karoi Road,” he said.
Mr Siansole said it was pleasing to note that the President took up the proposals that were made by the district and directed relevant departments to implement them.
He said it was pleasing that ministries have started to develop Binga in line with Government’s philosophy to leave no place and no one behind.
Chief Siachilaba from Siachilaba area in Binga commended Government for appointing Mr Siansole as Binga DDC.
“He is our child, he understands our issues, we believe having someone from Binga in his office is crucial for the development of the community. We are looking forward to closely working with him to transform our community. We are also happy that
Government is bringing development projects to Binga,” said Chief Siachilaba. – @nqotshili.
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