BY DARLINGTON MWASHITA
A Zimbabwean academic based in South Africa has donated 13 thermometers to schools in Hwange to help them curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Limukani Mathe from the University of Johannesburg told Sunday Southern Eye that he had set up a Covid-19 response team made up of five committee members and one of them was working on the ground overseeing the distribution of the thermometers to the selected schools.
“Schools are in need and some cannot afford to buy these thermometers,” Mathe said.
“I will be donating at least 10 more to schools left out as one cannot supply all at once.”
He said he bought the thermometers at a cost of R1 000 each.
One of the committee members, Donald Shoko, said Mathe founded a non-governmental organisation called Jambezi Educational Development Association (Jeda) in 2017, which is made up of people scattered across the globe.
“Jeda utilises the concept of community development such as collective participation. The organisation has been paying tuition fees for disadvantaged pupils at primary schools in Jambezi until university level and sent more than 50 children to school,” Shoko said.
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“We do a lot besides covering fees, we donate stationery and assist in school infrastructural development.
“Jeda reaches out to the local people, endeavours to shape the future of the minorities elevating them to participate in politics, entrepreneurship and other national development programmes.”
The government was forced to postpone indefinitely the phased re-opening of schools that had been scheduled to begin this week after Covid-19 cases started rising rapidly.
There were concerns that schools were not adequately prepared for the new term as they had no resources to buy materials needed to curb coronavirus infections such as thermometers and masks.
