Wanezi High strives for excellence

Amanda Mlevu, Sunday News Reporter 

A JUBILANT atmosphere filled the air as parents and guardians ululated and whistled while others sang praises with melodic voices as they embraced their children with hugs in celebration of the various achievements as Wanezi High School held its Speech and Prize Giving day yesterday.

The school which is owned by the Brethren in Christ Church (BICC) played host to learners and teachers from BICC schools such as Matopo High, Mtshabezi High, Khumbula High who came to be in solidarity with the school’s day that was running under the theme, “Perseverance the key for success.” The school is based in Insiza District, Matabeleland South province.

The School Development Committee chairperson Mr Gariet Sibanda recited the school achievements. He said they were taking the global warming issue into something positive and in one of the projects they were using solar energy to power the school.

“As a school we recently installed solar energy. During studies electricity can go and students will find it difficult to read their books,” said Mr Sibanda.

He said they were embarking on building a massive girls dormitory that will accommodate more than 100 girls.

“We are going to commission the massive building in the first quarter of next year and we are planning on renovating the current rooms that the girls are using to make them into exquisite rooms, that will be used by A-level students,” he said.

The guest of honour, Dr Trezia Ndlovu, a Head of Department from Morgan Zintec Teacher’s College left students envious when she spoke of how perseverance in school was the only key to unlocking the potential in them for success.

“One of the primary reasons why perseverance is crucial for success is that most meaningful accomplishments require time and effort. Rarely do significant achievements come easily or without any obstacles,” said Dr Ndlovu.

She encouraged them to remain focused in the face of setbacks, failures, and moments of doubt along the way saying without perseverance, individuals may be tempted to give up when faced with challenges, adding that no one should give up.

The headmistress of the school, Ms Dorcas Khumalo, said she was proud of how the pupils keep raising the school bar by producing incredible results. She noted that pupils should assess their progress, learn from their experiences, and make necessary adjustments to their strategies.

“As your head, I am very proud that every student here has shown nothing but perseverance and I encourage you to continue to make us proud, to do that you should re-visit where you went wrong, navigate challenges effectively and make incremental progress towards your goals,” said Ms Khumalo. 

Parents, guardians, staff and guests felt layers of unsettling emotion as they heard the heartbreaking story of a Form Three learner — Prince Ncube who scooped five awards and was awarded the best overall student of the year. 

In an interview with Sunday News, Prince, a day scholar, said in the rainy season it’s hard to cross the Wanezi River because water will be over his shoulders but still he manages to work hard and get excellent marks in Mathematics, Physics, Agriculture, Principle of Accounts and Biology.

“I work very hard as a day scholar, my mother encouraged me to work extra hard more than other students to change the situation at home. My father works in a mine and it’s difficult to make ends meet, so for us, the only breakthrough that we rely on is for me to excel in all my subjects so that I can take my family to greater heights,” said Prince.

The school has a junior councillor Thandeka Tshili, who advocates for other pupils’ needs and leads in activities such as the anti-drug campaigns. She also works towards encouraging pupils to aim for higher pass rates and discourage pupils against teenage pregnancies.

“I am a councillor for Ward 17 in the district and my role is to look after the youths, pertaining to issues that affect them like these days there is an issue of drug and substance abuse and we have a lot of teenage pregnancy, so my role is to enforce and instil good morals in youths so that they avoid such things,” said Clr Tshili.