Schools insure against storms

Walter Nyamukondiwa Chinhoyi Bureau
At least 58 schools in Mhondoro-Ngezi district have taken up insurance cover against natural disasters following a series of storms that have swept off roofs and caused damage to infrastructure.

Disasters have often caused disruption to normal school activities as authorities battled to raise funds for repairs. Well-wishers have often had to come to the rescue of the schools.

This comes at a time when Nyatsambo Primary School, among several others across the country were extensively damaged during a violent storm.

The development, however, sets the district on a collision course with Government as Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora said there was no specific position on insurance.

“There is no position on that (insurance) at the moment from Government.

“However, I must point out that money cannot be used in that manner,” he said.

“I will have to get the full facts on the matter from my officers because there are a lot of people on the market selling their wares and they would want to get clients.”

Mhondoro-Ngezi district education officer Mr Bernard Makamure told a stakeholders meeting recently, that more than 60 percent of the 96 schools in the district had insured their schools.

“We have met headmasters with various companies selling their products in the last two weeks on the matter of insuring their schools against natural disasters and I should say the response is positive,” said Mr Makamure.

“I can safely say that more than 60 percent of schools in the district have taken up insurance.”

Provincial education director Mr Sylvester Mashayamombe said the development is welcome as long as schools do not resort to levying children for it.