The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT is making plans to build a state-of-the-art boarding school for the Gospel of God Church International (Johane Masowe) at its Gandanzara Shrine as part of President Mnangangwa’s pledge to assist church members in educating their children in a Christian environment.
The church’s educational mission is to provide an environment that teaches all desirable subjects and life skills while reconciling the learners with God so that they also grow spiritually.
President Manangagwa visited the Gandanzara shrine early this month, during which the church leadership requested to be assisted with the construction of a school for their children.
Government intends to build 3 000 schools to cover the country’s schools deficit.
ln the short to medium term, Manicaland needs 50 new schools to address the current shortages that have seen some school children walking for more than 20 kilometres to and from school every day.
Of these, six new schools are already being built in Makoni, Buhera, Mutare, Nyanga and Mutasa.
The Gandanzara school, which will house both primary and secondary learners, will become the second boarding school to be built by Government in Manicaland after the ongoing upgrading of Buhera’s Chimbudzi Secondary School into a boarding institution.
Given that existing public schools are overcrowded, new schools are needed to decongest them and improve access to inclusive, equitable and quality education.
On Tuesday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu visited the church’s shrine.
Dr Ndlovu was accompanied by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Nokuthula Matsikenyere and Secretary for Provincial Affair and Devolution, Mr Edgars Seenza.
She said President Mnangagwa is committed to ensuring that the country achieves universal access to inclusive, equitable and quality education.
“Our visit is a follow-up to President Mnangagwa’s visit to assess existing opportunities regarding the construction of a boarding facility so that children from the church can have their own school that will allow them to acquire knowledge in a familiar Christian environment.
“This is an opportunity to fulfil Government’s commitment towards the provision of education through the construction of schools in every part of the country. The challenge we have identified is that the local enrolment will not be enough since there are nearby schools.
“We therefore need to construct a boarding school for ECDs up to Form Six and capitalise on the church members who are scattered across the country and continent. Upon finishing Grade Seven, some of the church members’ children are expatriated to a church school in Kenya for secondary education.
“This is not right because as Government we must provide education for our own citizens in the facilities they need. This is why we will construct the school,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu said an inter-ministerial team will spearhead the Presidential project.
“We will form an inter-ministerial committee to work on this since it is a Presidential project. This will embrace the Local Government and Public Works; Health and Child Care; Energy and Power Development; Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development; National Housing and Social Amenities Ministries as well as ourselves. We will make this dream come true.
“The project requires at least 36 hectares of land. More land will be required for the construction of a shopping mall, a service station, a water treatment plant and tanks as well as sporting grounds. Currently the land is not available, but there is a proposal to request villagers around the shrine to move to a settlement that will be developed for them to pave way for the project.
“As a ministry, we are already building schools and this year we have a programme to build 35 schools and all the resources are available. About six of them are in Manicaland,” she said.
Turning to this year’s candidates, Dr Ndlovu said Grade Seven exams ended without incident, adding that learners will continue going to school for the Life Orientation Programme (LOP).
Headmasters should submit LOP timetables and daily attendance statistics to District Schools Inspectors (DSIs).
“Zimbabwe is known for high quality education and we expect the best results. When they were disturbed by Covid-19, we gave them time to study. We cannot continue to use Covid-19 as an excuse because we have recovered from Covid-19.
“We compressed the syllabi and learners managed to finish them. Grade Sevens will continue going to school to acquire knowledge about what they will experience at secondary level. This is a preparatory period for them. We have agreed with teachers unions on that,” she said.
Gospel of God Church International acting general secretary, Elder Nelson Maturure said the church values education and holistic child development.
Mr Maturure said the boarding school, children from the church will acquire skills to be carried into adulthood and contribute meaningfully towards the development of society.
