Thupeyo Muleya

Beitbridge Bureau

PRIMARY and Secondary Education Minister Professor Torerayi Moyo has challenged pupils to believe that their circumstances, their schools or their provinces do not define the limits of their potential.

He was speaking at the close of the National Annual Science, Sports and Arts Festival (NASSAF) and World Literacy Day commemorations, which were concurrently held at Oakleigh House Trust School in Beitbridge, as Matabeleland South hosted the four-day-long series which began on Monday and ended on Thursday.

The minister’s speech was read on his behalf by the Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education, Mr Moses Mhike, at the closing ceremony of the week-long festival that brought together over 2 000 learners from Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces.

Prof Moyo said that as the country looks to the future, the nation must be ambitious and must believe that it can produce world-class scientists, athletes, artists and entrepreneurs.

“As we look to the future, we must be ambitious. We must believe that Zimbabwe can produce world-class scientists, athletes, artists and entrepreneurs. We must believe that our schools can become centres of innovation,” said Prof Moyo.

He said belief alone was not enough, and that the Government must provide opportunities, mentorship, resources and pathways, while also creating an educational culture that rewards curiosity, creativity, discipline and excellence.

“To our pupils, I leave you with this message: your circumstances do not define the limits of your potential. Your Province does not set the size of your dreams,” he said.

“Your school does not limit what you can achieve. Your current circumstances are not the final chapter.”

He urged education stakeholders to continue working together to ensure no pupil is left behind, encouraging learners to question, experiment, create, compete fairly, work with others, respect teachers, parents and one another, and to never stop learning.

Prof Moyo said the festival, which was being held in Matabeleland South for the first time, was more than an annual event but a platform through which the country’s future talent can be identified and linked to opportunity, with skills linked to markets and education linked to national development.

“The festival should open doors. It should create networks. It should connect pupils with mentors. It should encourage further study. It should stimulate innovation,” he said.

“The Government must ensure NASSAF and World Literacy Day commemorations become part of a continuing talent-development pathway.

“If Zimbabwe wants a peaceful, united and prosperous nation, it must begin by fostering mutual respect and understanding among young people, noting that events such as NASSAF help build bridges and remind the nation that Zimbabwe is one nation.”

The minister also linked the festival to this year’s World Literacy theme, which references the Planet, adding that Beitbridge itself provides an appropriate context for learning where the local environment becomes a living classroom and where scientific literacy is crucial in an age when citizens encounter vast quantities of information every day.

He announced that Mashonaland East Province will host the 7th edition of NASSAF in 2027.

Prof Moyo paid special tribute to the hosts, saying Oakleigh House Trust School and Matabeleland South Province had set a high standard.

“Most importantly, our deepest gratitude goes to Oakleigh House Trust School and Matabeleland South Province for successfully hosting the Ministry,” he said.

“Their choice stands as a shining beacon of what public-private partnerships can achieve in education.

“Their hospitality and flawless execution in hosting both PASSAF and NASSAF back-to-back have transformed Beitbridge into a proud national hub for educational excellence.

“Today, from Beitbridge, let us send a message to the nation: Zimbabwe’s future is being shaped in our classrooms, on our playing fields, in our laboratories, on our stages, in our workshops, in our libraries, and most importantly, in the minds of our young people.”