The Sunday Mail
Councillor Dickson Jani
Noah Pito in Hurungwe
For the folk of remote Chikova under Chief Kazangarare in Hurungwe North, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset) is a handy replacement for the Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire) which steered the area’s development in previous years.
A stone’s throw from the banks of Angwa River – the natural boundary between Hurungwe and Guruve – Chikova relied heavily on Campfire, but poachers have driven game away and gold panners are digging everywhere.
With skilled bricklayers, carpenters and abundant labour in the area, Hurungwe’s ward 9 councillor, Cde Dickson Jani, also chair of Zanu-PF Chikova District, says there much potential for the community to come up with people-driven development.
To demonstrate the essence of Zim-Asset to the people of Chikova, the district has embarked on construction of a classroom block at Chikova Secondary School with district executives doing the actual building.
“As people in leadership we can’t just move around preaching about Zim-Asset without showing people the way to go; so we have engaged the very people who must be at the forefront of teaching about Zim-Asset to show the way for others to follow,” said Cde Jani.
According to Chikova Secondary School Development Committee chair Mr Solomon Duka, there is an acute shortage of classrooms at the school, which has an enrollment of 272 pupils.
“Since the setting up of this school in 2004, we have been using classrooms at our sister primary school until 2012 when the secondary school was weaned following the completion of our first block at this new site.
“We constructed our first block using more than five tonnes of cement we received from Campfire. Of course it was after we had provided bricks, sand and labour.
“We were lucky that our MP then, Cde Peter Chanetsa, supplied us with roofing materials, doorframes and window frames using the Constituency Development Fund,” he said.
Mr Duka said although they managed to avail a classroom block then, it still failed to accommodate such an enrolment as forms one and two who comprised a total of four classes, had to operate under trees.
With pupils enduring the rain and cold in teh open, Mr Duka said it was imperative that additional structures be erected.
Explaining the project, Cde Jani said: “It was towards the end of last year. We went to our Chief (Kazangarare) and presented our problem. We later convened a meeting with the chief and all the 27 village heads from the school’s catchment area. We agreed that something be done by the community to raise some cash for constructing a second classroom. We settled for a contribution of US$2 per household.
“From the contributions we managed to raise enough cash to purchase cement to build the foundation up to the slab level.
“Every household also assisted with bricks, stones and sand for the construction of the block. With skilled bricklayers in our party district executive we started constructing our classroom block.
“Since then, donations of cement, especially during the recent tobacco-selling season, poured in from well-wishers. We now have enough cement to complete the building.
“Now that the tobacco-selling season is gone our serious challenge is acquiring roofing material. We had a target of roofing the structure well before the rains so that our children may not be disturbed in any way. Remember this is also the time O-Level classes will be writing their public examinations,” he said
Cde Jani added that if well-wishers did not come through with roofing material, they would approach their MP, Cde Reuben Marumahoko, for assistance.
“We will only approach our Honourable MP Cde Marumahoko if some promises by some sons and daughters of this area who are in different towns fail to materialise. We know if we approach him he will be very ready to assist.
“But I also feel tobacco merchants working in this area have a role to play. These companies need to assist us in such cases. They are using us yet they never reward the very people who make bussines for them.
“Considering the amount of cash they realise from this area it would be too insignificant a figure to donate roofing material for just a classroom block.”
Hurungwe Rural District Council and the area’s seven chiefs accuse tobacco companies in Hurungwe of failing to plough back into the community. Despite calls to even contribute to national events like Independence and Heroes celebrations, they have not been forthcoming.
