Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
FOR many years, brave learners in Ward 4, Mzola West endured the agony of walking 30 kilometres daily to and from the nearest secondary school but the pain will soon be a thing of the past after Kusile Rural District Council resolved to build a new Secondary School — Mthombowesizwe — using devolution funds.
The absence of a nearby secondary school saw those not brave enough opting to drop out of school altogether while some girls would fall prey to cunning boys and paedophiles along the way and drop out of school after falling pregnant.
A study cond levels.
The initial plan was for the school to start enrolment in January next year, but the opening of the school is being pushed a little bit further, probably to May 2023.
One block with three classrooms has been completed as well as some toilets built from the initial US$20 000 that hit the council’s bank account.
The total budget for the school construction, according to the Kusile RDC acting chief executive officer, Mr Wellington Mthembo, is US$120 000.
The Mthombowesizwe Secondary School project is one of many projects the local authority is undertaking using devolution funds.
Devolution funds are assisting local authorities to fulfil their obligations of ensuring improved access to social amenities such as health, education, and road infrastructural development.
The Government identified devolution as a key pillar to achieving an upper middle-income economy status by 2030. Under devolution, citizens are involved in setting the development agenda in their communities. The framework for devolution is enshrined in Section 264 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and other subsidiary legislation.
“The initial plan was to have two blocks and two staff cottages and then open the school, however, we are now facing funding challenges but we are engaging the relevant arms of Government.
“We have written to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing advising them of the challenges and also did acquittal for the money that we used,” said Mthembo.
Ward Four Councillor, Mr Kennias Ncube said the construction of the learning facility will see an increase in the number of school-going children as some of them dropped out as a result of distance.
The nearest secondary school is Zenzele, which is 15km away, meaning a learner travels 30 kilometres to and from a day, a mammoth endeavour by any standard.
“Very few of our children attend school around here, not because they want, but due to the distance they travel so through devolution funds, we have managed to build a classroom block but for now it has no furniture. We are engaging various stakeholders, including those that are in the diaspora to stand up and assist the Government as we push for the completion of this school,” said Clr Ncube.
Addressing a Local Government conference in the capital recently, President Mnangagwa said his administration will scale up the implementation of the devolution agenda so that local authorities assume broader responsibilities to ensure rapid transformation of the country from the grassroots level.
The Government has touted the programme as one key pillar of developing vibrant provincial economies and rural industries as it moves to attain an upper middle-income economy by 2030 and in fulfilment of the philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind.
President Mnangagwa said the devolution and decentralisation agenda was also entrenching participatory democracy by ensuring that resources, powers and functions were given to communities at the grassroots level.
In his 2022 budget presentation to Parliament last year, Minister of Finance and Development Professor Mthuli Ncube doubled the devolution funds allocation from $19,5 billion the previous year to $42,5 billion saying the funds will be channelled towards transport and related infrastructure, education, health, electricity, social amenities, water and sanitation projects.
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