Mpopoma High appeals for funds to pay off water bill

Nokuthaba Mathema Chronicle Reporter
MPOPOMA High School owes Bulawayo City Council more than $50 000 in unpaid water bills and has appealed to well wishers to assist it to clear the debt. Speaking at the commissioning of a 66-seater school bus worth $85 000 on Friday, the headmaster Mr Christopher Dube said the school was failing to pay the debt due to financial constraints.
The school also commissioned a weather station worth $7 000 and three water tanks worth $1 000 each.
He also expressed gratitude to the school development association (SDA) and the parents for supporting the project saying the bus would address the school’s transport challenges.

“The school has a high water bill of $54 000 which we are failing to pay due to limited resources and at anytime, the school maybe disconnected from supply. We are appealing to the corporate world to assist paying the debt,” said Mr Dube.

Guest of honour at the occasion, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube said the purchase of the bus reflected the unity between parents and the school administration.

The commissioning of the bus comes amid protests by parents who accused school authorities of using the bus levy to swindle them of money.
“The new bus we are celebrating today was a brain child of the parents and the school administration. The purchase of a school bus had been a long overdue activity. It takes an innovative mind to realise the urgent need for transport in a school set-up,” said Rtd Col Dube.

He commended the school authorities for producing good Ordinary and Advanced Level results and urged other schools to emulate them.
“The people who set the standards for the school have set them very high. I hope and wish that every school will do the same,” he said.

Speaking at the same occasion, educationist and patron of the school, Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu challenged the school administration to submit infrastructural development plans to the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture so as to secure funds for the building and repair of infrastructure.

“The ministry recently secured funds under the Education Transition Fund (ETF) phase two for infrastructural development for schools both in rural and urban areas. We urge schools to submit bids for building infrastructure. If you do not apply other schools will get the money and upgrade their schools,” said Dr Ndlovu.

The school’s 2012 A-level pass rate was 96, 83 percent while the O-level pass rate was 35,1 percent.