Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
AT least 1 000 new primary and secondary schools are set to be constructed across Zimbabwe following the signing of a US$420 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government and MAGCOR Consortium Group of Companies Zimbabwe (Private) Limited.
The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education headquarters in Harare yesterday.
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Professor Torerayi Moyo, described the agreement as a major milestone in addressing the country’s school infrastructure deficit.
“Through this Memorandum of Understanding, MAGCOR Consortium Group of Companies has made a landmark commitment to support Zimbabwe’s education sector through a development package valued at US$420 million.
This significant investment will facilitate the mobilisation of funding, technical expertise and project management capacity for the construction of up to 1 000 modern schools across all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe.”
Prof Moyo said the project gives practical effect to President Mnangagwa’s development philosophy of leaving no community behind by expanding access to modern educational facilities throughout the country.
“Every school that will be constructed under this Memorandum of Understanding represents far more than bricks and mortar. It represents hope for a child, opportunity for a community, and an investment in Zimbabwe’s future,” he said.
MAGCOR Consortium Group of Companies is an international private asset management, development and investment consortium that specialises in delivering large-scale infrastructure projects aligned with global sustainability objectives.
Through its international networks, the consortium structures public-private partnerships financed entirely through capital secured against development milestones rather than State guarantees, enabling critical development projects to proceed without placing additional pressure on the national fiscus.
Under the terms of the MoU, MAGCOR will mobilise funding, technical expertise and project management services for the construction of new schools, rehabilitation of existing institutions, and the provision of educational equipment and related infrastructure.
“The partnership also provides for the rehabilitation and modernisation of existing schools, the provision of educational equipment and supporting infrastructure, the development of teacher accommodation and other facilities that enhance teaching and learning.
“Upon completion, all educational infrastructure developed under this partnership will be handed over to the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, becoming public schools that will serve generations of Zimbabwean learners, expanding access to quality, equitable, and relevant education for the present and future generations,” reads the MoU.
Prof Moyo said the initiative is fully aligned with Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), both of which identify human capital development and infrastructure expansion as critical pillars for economic growth and national transformation.
“The successful delivery of the Heritage-Based Education Curriculum depends not only on quality teaching, but also on the availability of modern learning environments. This partnership will significantly strengthen our capacity,” he said.
Prof Moyo added that the schools would contribute significantly towards the Government’s target of ensuring that no learner walks more than five kilometres to access a school.
The Minister also expressed gratitude to President Mnangagwa for fostering an investment-friendly environment and commended MAGCOR for what he described as a strategic investment in Zimbabwe’s future through education.
MAGCOR chairman and group chief executive officer Mr Michael Joseph Glynn said the Zimbabwe National Education Advancement Initiative would be implemented through a non-recourse financing model.
“Delivered through a non-recourse financing mechanism, the programme ensures that project financing is secured against project outcomes and does not create additional sovereign debt obligations for the Government of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“The initiative aligns with Zimbabwe’s national development priorities and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the UN, particularly those focused on quality education, innovation, sustainable communities, economic growth, and reduced inequalities.”
Mr Glynn said implementation of the programme would begin immediately, with the first visible results expected within the next 60 days.
The agreement comes as the Government intensifies efforts to modernise and expand Zimbabwe’s education system. More than 500 new schools have been built nationwide over the past three years, reflecting the Government’s commitment to improving access to education and advancing inclusive, sustainable development in line with Vision 2030.
The ongoing nationwide school construction and rehabilitation programme is being driven through devolution funding and strategic partnerships involving the private sector, faith-based organisations and development agencies.
