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Herald Reporter
Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa has urged public officials to shun corruption and be custodians of good practices to ensure the success of Government programmes.
Officially opening the Herentals Tynwald Private Primary School in Harare yesterday, Minister Mutasa said President Mugabe was doing all he could to uplift the lives of Zimbabweans and the efforts should be fully complemented.
The school, whose construction started in 2011, comprises two blocks with 10 classrooms, two smaller classroom blocks and an administration block.
“We should have a corruption free Zimbabwe as we work hard to achieve the goals we have set as a Government for the next five years after our resounding victory in the harmonised elections,” said Minister Mutasa.
“The call begins with us public officials and should cascade down to grassroots levels. Everyone in Government should focus on uplifting the standards of living. The President is on record denouncing corruption for us to realise development and we should come in and support his efforts.”
Minister Mutasa said had the officials involved in the building of the school been corrupt, the project would not have been a success.
“We never thought we would have such a day like this,” he said. “But, because you were open in your operations and put your hearts towards the project, it is today a success. These are some of the signs where a corrupt free country will take us to.”
Minister Mutasa said the new school would go a long way in complementing Government efforts of improving school infrastructure countrywide.
“This is a welcome gesture by Herentals that would assist Government because money that would have been used by the State to build such a school would now go towards other areas,” he said.
“As such, I urge the corporate world to extend such a hand to Government for it to achieve its targets outlined in the Zanu-PF manifesto. I am excited that such a model we are seeing here today is the one that is going to be used in the construction of Maturi Primary School in Headlines, which is my constituency.
“I would be happy if this spreads to other parts of the country such that we maintain our control of the literacy rate level in Africa.”
The minister said Government would offer land to people willing to construct schools and institutions that benefit children.
Herentals Group of Colleges and Schools executive director Mr Emmanuel Mahachi said education was pivotal to national development and the group would continue complementing Government efforts in the sector.
He said the literacy level Zimbabwe boasts of was due to the people’s love for books.
“Resources permitting, we will continue establishing primary, secondary schools and colleges countrywide to ensure we reach out to all corners,” Mr Mahachi said.
“The more education we give to our children the more developed, as a country we become. Our advantage is that in President Mugabe we have a man who values education and would want to see more resources being channeled to the education sector.”
Herentals has three primary schools, 11 secondary schools and several colleges countrywide.
Online Reporter