Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba [email protected]
ZIBAGWE Rural District Council in Kwekwe District has cleared all outstanding 2025 school fees arrears under its bursary programme, with efforts now underway to settle current fees for vulnerable learners to ensure they remain in school.
The bursary scheme forms part of the local authority’s broader social support initiatives aimed at improving access to education and reducing school dropouts across the district.
Speaking during a recent full council meeting, Zibagwe RDC chief executive officer Mr Farayi Desimond Machaya said the local authority had successfully cleared the backlog of fees owed under the bursary programme.
“As council, we have paid all the 2025 school fees backlog under the Zibagwe RDC bursary scheme. Efforts are underway to pay current school fees to ensure that vulnerable and socially disadvantaged learners stay in school,” he said.
Mr Machaya said the programme is a critical social safety net for disadvantaged children, many of whom are at risk of abandoning their education due to financial hardships.
“This social safety net is also aimed at reducing school dropouts due to financial challenges. The initiative supports Government’s broader goal of inclusive development and equal opportunities for all citizens,” he said.
“This effort contributes towards an inclusive society anchored on the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa’s developmental mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.”
Mr Machaya noted that school dropouts remain a major concern in the district, adding that council was relying on findings from the Campaign for Female Education (Camfed) to better understand the causes behind the trend.
“As council, we are relying on data compiled by Camfed in 2025 to better understand the causes of learners leaving school,” said Mr Machaya.
Meanwhile, the local authority is intensifying environmental protection efforts as part of measures to combat climate change and environmental degradation.
Mr Machaya said council plans to train all remaining ward environment sub-committees to strengthen environmental management programmes across the district.
“Council is looking forward to training all the remaining ward environment sub-committees to fight land degradation, deforestation, veld fires and stream-bank cultivation,” he said.
Mr Machaya added the local authority would also embark on gully reclamation and wetlands protection projects to promote environmental sustainability.
“Council is going to embark on various gully reclamation and wetlands protection activities as part of our efforts to fight climate change and global warming,” he said.
Mr Machaya said the initiatives are aligned with the council’s broader development agenda of creating safe, resilient and functional communities in line with the National Development Strategy 2 and the recently promulgated Minimum Service Delivery Standards.
