Community blocks school development

Community News
Elton Mangoma

By Tawanda Marwizi MAKONI — Some villagers in Dewerwi area in Makoni North constituency are refusing to work with their MP, Elton Mangoma, to complete the construction of a classroom block and teachers’ houses at a local school here because the legislator belongs to the MDC-T, a former opposition party. The School Development Committee (SDC) chairperson Anderson Musariri told The Standard last week that some members of the community had politicised the construction of Dewerwi Secondary School, a development which had disadvantaged teachers and students. “They are saying Mangoma is from the MDC … failing to understand that the school was initiated by government and not by an individual. The MP just donated the material which is part of the CDF (Constituency Development Fund) programme,” said Musariri. The school, which has only two blocks of classrooms, has eight teachers who are staying at a nearby growth point. A teacher, who requested anonymity for fear of victimisation, said life was becoming unbearable for them as they were forced to fork out a lot of money for rentals from their paltry salaries. “We don’t have houses here and we are renting at the shopping centre because the school has no accommodation for the staff and to make matters worse the community is refusing to work with the MP to have the issue (of houses) resolved,” he said. A local councillor Andrew Mukondiwa said he would soon call for a meeting to address the problem that has affected the school, which has about 350 students. “They are politicising the issue and yet it is their children who are being disadvantaged because of their stance,” said Mukondiwa. Mangoma said he would soon set up a committee that would go and the address the community about the dangers of blocking development in their area.