adminJohn Manzongo recently in DANDE VALLEY
Government and the private sector must partner to develop areas which bore the brunt of the liberation war, a senior defence official has said.
Briefing Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi during a tour of Murongwe Primary School in Dande yesterday, Air Marshal Perrance Shiri said many rural areas that suffered the most during the war were still underdeveloped.
“We understand that Government has a lot of issues to solve on its hands and we want to call upon the corporate world to assist in developing rural communities by providing social amenities such as schools, clinics and safe water sources,” he said.
“Villagers of this area (Dande) endured a lot of suffering during the days of the liberation struggle and it is saddening to note that their children are learning in dilapidated structures which do not even fit to be human habitat.
“We then decided as a defence force to partner the community in constructing a decent school and a clinic for them.”
Air Marshal Shiri said the villagers moulded bricks and fetched water, while the Airforce provided artisans and sourced funds to procure other building materials.
Murongwe School’s classrooms and teachers’ quarters were built of pole and dagga before AFZ’s intervention.
Minister Sekeramayi said the defence forces were there to serve the people of Zimbabwe to ensure that their rights were fully safeguarded through provision of social amenities.
“As you can see, your defence force is there for you. Murongwe community is one of the best in terms of the type of classroom structures that they now have after the Air Force of Zimbabwe came to your help,” he said.
“In future, there are plans to construct a secondary school and tertiary institutions where our youths will gain skills in welding,
carpentry and many others that will help in creating employment to locals and reduce the flow to towns and cities.”
Murongwe Primary School headmaster Mr Paul Chimudzi thanked the AFZ for its intervention and making the school the envy of many.
Online Reporter