Vulindlela School: A model of success for devolution funds

VULINDLELA Primary School in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb stands as a testament to the transformative impact of devolution funds, with local authorities being urged to prioritise single-project implementation for maximum impact.

Introduced by the Second Republic, devolution funds have addressed critical social amenities challenges across the country, enabling communities to decide on and benefit from essential projects such as schools, clinics and roads.

Bulawayo has notably reaped the rewards of these funds through the construction of Vulindlela Primary School, which opened its doors in 2021. The school has significantly eased the shortage of educational facilities in the city, particularly in Cowdray Park.

Last week, Presidential Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, toured the school, which has so far completed four classroom blocks, a toilet block and a septic tank. Construction is now shifting focus to a double-story classroom block to further expand enrolment capacity.

The school presently accommodates 1 200 pupils and was established to decongest the suburb’s four other primary schools, which include Tategulu, Mkhithika Thebe, Mahlathini and Cowdray Park primary schools.

Speaking during the tour, Eng Muguti lauded Vulindlela Primary School as a model of successful devolution implementation.
“We heard of the success story of Vulindlela Primary School. This area was once a sand pit, plagued by sand poaching and multiple holes, making it swampy and unusable. Today, we stand on a school built through the hard work of the Bulawayo City Council and the Government of Zimbabwe. It now serves 1 297 students,” he said.

However, Eng Muguti noted that more schools are needed in Cowdray Park to meet the growing demand for affordable and accessible education.

“It is a constitutional right for every child to have access to easy and affordable education. The Government is aware of the great shortage of schools in this area and is committed to addressing it,” he added.

Eng Muguti emphasised the importance of focusing on single projects to ensure the efficient use of devolution funds.
“One of the things we’ve noticed is that local authorities often spread themselves too thin when devolution funds come through.

We encourage them to adopt the approach we’ve seen here at Vulindlela Primary School, concentrating on one project, completing it and then handing it over to the community before moving to the next,” he said.

Eng Muguti highlighted that the success of Vulindlela Primary School serves as a blueprint for effective project implementation under the devolution framework.

He said the school’s ongoing development underscores the potential of devolution funds to transform communities, ensuring that every child has access to quality education while fostering sustainable development in line with Vision 2030.