Online Reporter
Maria Chiguvari
MOLELI High School headmaster says the school has continued to raise the bar in academic and co-curricular activities in the past two years.
Last year the school recorded a 100 percent pass rate at Ordinary and Advanced Level while maintaining strong results in sports and robotics.
Moleli was the only school in Mashonaland West to record a 100 percent Ordinary Level pass rate, achieving the feat for two consecutive years.
The school celebrated the achievements at its Speech and Prize Giving Day held on Saturday, with award-winning scientist and STEM education advocate Sicelo Dube, popularly known as The STEMLady, being the guest of honour.
School head Fortune Gundani said the results reflected a culture of hard work and excellence that had been built over the years.
“Established in 1962 by the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, Moleli High School has grown in leaps and bounds to what it is at the present moment.
“At Moleli we preach and exercise zero tolerance to drug and alcohol abuse.
“We keep on stressing the need to shun these vices and that learners should be guided by the concept of Ubuntu.”
The school has an enrolment of 737 boarders, comprising 359 boys and 378 girls.
It has 34 teaching staff and 26 non-teaching staff.
Gundani said the school offers a Heritage-Based Curriculum covering practical subjects, sciences, commercials and arts.
He said discipline remained central to the school’s success, with the institution maintaining zero tolerance towards drug and alcohol abuse.
The school head said Moleli has maintained its strong academic record, having been named the best school at Ordinary Level and second best at Advanced Level in Mashonaland West in the 2025 ZIMSEC examinations.
For the past six years, the school has been the best performing school at Ordinary Level in the province and among Methodist Churches’ secondary schools nationally.
Gundani said the school was also placed fourth nationally at Ordinary Level and received an award at the 2025 ZIMSEC national results awards.
Out of 21 subjects, 14 recorded a 100 percent pass rate, while the remaining seven were above 90 percent. Mathematics recorded a 93.7 percent pass rate, with 83 of the 127 candidates scoring As.
A total of 97 candidates scored five As or better.
At Advanced Level, 51 candidates scored 15 points or better.
The school’s achievements have also extended to co-curricular activities.
Six tennis players competed at national level, while the junior girls’ robotics team won a gold medal at the national Robotics Olympiad.
“At Moleli, you don’t compete against anyone, you compete with yourself. Just score your eight ones or As or 15 points and you are guaranteed a prize,” he said.
He urged Form Four and Form Six candidates to aim for nine As and 15 points respectively in their final ZIMSEC examinations.
Guest of honour Dube challenged the learners to look beyond examination results and develop critical thinking and innovation skills.
“Education is bigger than examination results. Work hard.
“Take your education seriously. Ask questions. Challenge yourself. Learn to think, not only to remember.
“To every student receiving an award – congratulations. An award is not the destination. “Let it be motivation for your next achievement,” Dube said.
She reminded learners who did not receive awards that their journey was not over.
“Do not just be excellent students. Be excellent thinkers. How many people can benefit from how far I go?” she said.
Dube, who holds an MSc in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, a BSc in Biochemistry and Biological Sciences and an MBA, is the founder and CEO of STEMLady Holdings and leader of the STEMFem Network.
She is also a STEM Education Knowledge Expert under the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser to Africa, a UNESCO Girl Empowerment Champion and a Mandela Washington Fellow.
District Bishop Rev P Simango urged prize winners to regard their awards as motivation to work harder rather than the end of their journey.
“Success and discipline go hand-in-hand. “Academic achievements without good character and discipline cannot build the right future we desire.
“We do not need this school today only but we need it tomorrow and for the generations to come. “Let us make this school the school of choice,” he said.
SDC chairman, Mr Dzingirayi, also called for greater support for the school from parents, the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, former students, well-wishers and the corporate sector.
He said the school faced challenges including infrastructure requiring refurbishment, shortages of learning materials, transport challenges and the rising cost of running the institution.
“Our vision is to make Moleli a school of choice with proper infrastructure, a conducive learning environment, clean water, well-equipped laboratories and a beautiful campus that reflects the glory of God,” he said.
Quoting Nehemiah 2:18, the SDC chairman urged stakeholders to work together to develop the school.
“Let us rise and build. Moleli is ours, let us build it together,” he said.
