24 June 2022
Zim GBC News
Jeremiah Harrison
The rapid growth of urban population in the past years has resulted in high demand for service delivery to cater for people in these areas.
In this era, Zimbabwe is frought with students who walk long distances to reach education facilities both at primary and secondary education level. This was mostly in the rural areas, but the phenomenon is now prevalent in urban areas as well.
This points to the fact that the central government still has a long way to go in ensuring that education in both urban areas and rural areas is within reach for school going children.
Local authorities, are thus called in to cover this gap in working with the government.
Bulawayo City Council in particular has embarked on a project of building schools especially in the sprawling suburb of Cowdray Park.
This past Wednesday the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Honourable Judith Ncube was invited on a tour of City of Bulawayo projects which are taking baby steps in developing the city through the use of devolution funds.
Cowdray Park suburbs located to the North Western parts of the City has a high demand of schools (primary and secondary schools) as the population continues to grow in leaps and bounds.
In October 2018 the Bulawayo City Council embarked on a school project, Vulindlela Primary School and from Wednesday’s tour the project has reached final phase of construction as it is now operating.
Currently, Vulindlela Primary School has enrolled about 892 pupils from grade 1-5 and this number reveals that there is high demand for more schools in the suburb.
Information provided by the project manager Sidumiso Ncube states thatt the school has been built in three phases, they are completing phase 2 and they are about to begin the last phase of the project.
“We have been building this school in phases we are done with phase one and two. Under Phase 2 we built these two blocks .” said Sidumiso Ncube
“We got another allocation of funds and we are working towards the completion of this other third block then we can start phase three where we are building another block with upstairs.” added Ncube.
The project was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and it’ progress slowed a bit by but still managed to move forward despite the limitations.
The project manager Sidumiso Ncube also added that they are working hand in glove with cooperatives and school leavers in the area to make this initiative a success. On the visit to Vulindlela Primary School, this reporter witnessed two s complet classroom blocks, complete toilets for females and males students, a fence along the perimeter of the school yard as well as a Jojo tank to provide for water.
The Deputy Mayor for the City of Bulawayo, Councillor Mlandu Ncube was pleased with the progress. He also suggested that through the devolution funds the City of Bulawayo should build more schools in the area to avoid long distance for pupils to get to the nearest schools.
Cllr Mlandu said,
“I’m so happy with the progress, with the route we are are taking as City of Bulawayo, we need more money we need more schools in Bulawayo.”
“We need more of these devolution funds to help us build more schools and we hope the central government will help us achieve that goal, working hand in hand with the local authorities.” added Councillor Ncube
While the good works by the City of Bulawayo in carrying out these mega projects is commendable, the local authority seem to be turning a blind eye at the sewer system especially in the western suburbs’ old locations such Makokoba, Old Pumula, Njube were sewage bursts have been dominant.
The old sewer pipes have reached their end of use date and they now need regular repairs. Approximately more than 100km of sewer pipes in Bulawayo are need to be replaced as they are old.
Otherwise we applaud the City Council of Bulawayo for the good work they are doing in maintaining the place for the good of the citizens.
Zim GBC News
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