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Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri

Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
Government’s decision to mark World Wetlands Day last Friday has come as a blessing for local pupils who were learning in makeshift classrooms. Touched by the pupils plight, officials from four organisations, the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Allied Timbers, Forestry Commission and Zimbabwe National Water Authority, pledged to assist and ensure that Good Hope Primary school had permanent structures.

The primary school, which is near Chinu Wetlands in Chirumhanzu District, has an enrolment of about 100 pupils.

The school has three makeshift classrooms and no furniture.

The four organisations pledged to construct classroom blocks at the school for free.

Addressing hundreds of people gathered for the World Wetland Day commemorations at Driefontein Grassland in Chirumhanzu last Friday, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said a new Good Hope Primary School was coming.

“After touring the wetlands and the school, some departments here present came together and pledged to construct a new permanent structure,” she said. “National Parks is donating cement, Allied Timbers roofing materials and furniture, Forestry Commission is donating timber and 100 fruit trees and Zinwa has pledged to install a solar powered electric water pump.”

Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri said the Environment Management Agency had donated a fence for the school orchard and Chinu Wetland to protect it from villagers who were cutting down trees.

“The people here should benefit from the natural resources, which are abundant here,” she said. “We intend to put a dam at the end of the wetland so that we turn this into a tourist attraction. In future we want to see lodges and other attractions so that our people benefit.”

Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri said villagers who invaded the wetland should be moved out.