Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
The Zion Christian Church (ZCC) has started building five secondary schools in Beitbridge, Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Beatrice and Mvuma with the help of a US$1 million donation from Mr Wicknell Chivayo.
Church leader Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi who visited the Beitbridge site for one of the new private schools yesterday said he was happy with the progress on the ground.
He said the church had engaged a contractor who was involved in the construction of the new parliament to help with civil works.
At the moment, Beitbridge District has a total of 71 primary schools and 18 secondary schools and it needs more schools to accommodate the ever growing population.
Bishop Mutendi, who is also an environment champion, also planted a tree at the new school named Gurukudera Academy.
Improving the country’s education system and promoting environment conservation was one of the key roles churches across the country should support, he said.
“We are working on constructing more schools in Zimbabwe and we are happy with progress. At the same time, I want to urge Zimbabweans to respect the institution of traditional leaders and those elected during elections. These are appointed by God,” said Bishop Mutendi.
The construction of the schools, he said, was an important way of investing in the future of the young generation.
ZCC construction project manager Mr Inock Moyo said the Beitbridge school was started in June last year and they expect it to open doors in the second term of this year.
He said so far they were on the verge of completing the construction of the science block which is mixed with several classroom blocks.
“We are building five similar schools in Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Beatrice, and Mvuma-Dombo raSamere, a monumental heritage site where ZCC founder Rev Samuel Mutendi would always stop to worship God every time he used that road,” said Mr Moyo.
“In addition to the church’s fundraising initiatives, we are deploying the US$1 million donated by Mr Wicknell Chivhayo to the schools’ project.”
Mr Moyo said civil works for the construction of hostels and staff cottages were underway and that this was being done in phases.
