Learners at Sally Mugabe Primary School, formerly Russel Primary School in Kwekwe District, Midlands Province, are vulnerable to cholera after the school received more than 1 000 learners from Globe and Phoenix Primary School.
As reported by The NewsHawks, the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) in Kwekwe District relocated learners from Globe and Phoenix Primary School to Sally Mugabe after classrooms caved in due to illegal mining last year.
However, authorities have not expanded water and sanitation facilities at Russel Primary to accommodate learners from Globe and Phoenix.
This week, Fortune Mpungu, the Kwekwe CPU chairperson, told NewsHawks that the facilities at Sally Mugabe can cater for learners from Globe and Phoenix. He said:
We have provided temporary classroom tents at the school where the pupils have been relocated to and that is Sally Mugabe Primary.
Latest Samsung A06 128GB, 4GB now available: $106
To order, WhatsApp: wa.me/263715068543
In terms of water and sanitation facilities, all the students are using the old ones. They are enough.
We are working with the Ministry of Health on preventing cholera at the school. We feel we are on top of the situation.
Besides, plans are already there for the construction of a new school and we are waiting for the rainy season to end so that the work can begin.
Plans and designs for the new school have already been drawn and very soon construction will begin. The stay of the pupils at that school is temporary.
However, The NewsHawks reported sources at Sally Mugabe Primary School as saying a health time bomb is looming at the institution.
The CPU has not provided mobile toilets or water bowsers to cater for the increased number of pupils. Said the source:
We are talking about 1 300 pupils who have been relocated to a school that already had overpopulated children with limited water and sanitation facilities such as ablution blocks.
The number of students is overwhelming the facilities already and general workers are failing to maintain hygiene at the toilets.
When there are water outages, there are no additional supplies that are on standby.
According to the Ministry of Health and Childcare, as of 07 February 2023, Midlands Province had 569 suspected Cholera cases, 17 confirmed cases, 528 recoveries, 0 confirmed deaths and 36 suspected deaths.
Globe and Phoenix Primary School, which was constructed more than a century ago, was abandoned after a classroom block collapsed into a mine shaft on 16 March 2023.
The learners have been learning under tents at Russell Primary School grounds where they have been camped since last year.
The underground tunnels that destroyed the school were dug by illegal gold miners linked to ZANU PF.
More: Pindula News
zf · 1 year ago
the final act to consummate the crime, and though some may not have
been present (as in the case of Hamadziripi and Chigowe who claim to
have been in Malawi at the material time), they could all be charged foy
Chitepo’s murder.
262. Members of the High Command who gave evidence admitted that
on hearing rumours that some of them were to be arrested, they scattered
and ran away from Zambia instead of being eager to stay to explain ang
assist the Zambian Police. So, the whole evidence (both circumstantial] as
well as direct) with regard to the assassination of Chitepo points inevitably
and clearly to his colleagues in the DARE and the High Command,
especially Tongogara, Chigowe, Mudzi, Gumbo, Kangai and Hamadziripi,
(0) Mottvzs or CurrEpo’s KinLErs
263. The Nhari Rebellion and subsequent violent kidnappings were
erroneously regarded by the Karanga as having been masterminded by the
Manyika leaders in DARE. The people who were kidnapped in Lusaka
were Karangas and their close associates, hence, the Karanga backlash
against the Nhari group and their Manyika sympathisers.
264. Henry Hamadziripi, in his evidence before the Commission, hit
the nail on the head whenheindicated that the motive forthe assassination,
of Chitepo was REVENGE.
265. The mutual suspicion and hatred among the tribal groups was a
cause of strain and stress for Chitepo, and could very well have given. rise
to his remark that he did not know which to sacrifice, his life or the Party.
After the mass executions of the Nhari group as well as the close associates
of Chitepo, like John Mataure and Edgar Madekurozwa, there was fear
that, if Chitepo was left at large, he would quite possibly divulge the
criminal activities committed by the ex-ZANU Executive. It was feared
that he would incriminate or cast grave suspicion on his former colleagues
by implicating them in the atrocities that indeed came to light after his
death. Their fear was strengthened by the fact that they were moving into
the ANC and were to be subjected to the discipline of that body and not of
ZANU’s DARE in which they wielded power.
266. This was not to be left to chance, and the only way to prevent it
was to permanently silence Chitepo. The act of forcibly assigning body-
guards to him to be with him wherever he went, and to be present at any
discussions he held with people, abundantly testifies to this.
267. Moreover, members of the DARE and the Military High Command
stood to gain from the rich harvest of a liberated Zimbabwe. They would,
hopefully, occupy high posts in the black government because they had
been the ‘Zimbabwe Government-in-exile’. They would also rightly claim
to have fought and emancipated Zimbabwe from white domination, and
made the country independent. Therefore, they would be entitled to the
highest offices in the first Government of Zimbabwe.
50
zf · 1 year ago
D. Identity and Motive of Assassins
256. In our fourth term of reference, we were required to investigate
and establish the identity and the motive of the person or persons responsible
for Chitepo’s death.
(a) IDENTITY oF THE ASSASSINS
257. As already stated, the Malawi Authorities told Chitepo that he
was lucky to be alive in the company of Hamadziripi and Chigowe who
had accompanied him as his ‘bodyguards’ to Malawi. In Blantyre, Chigowe
listed people to be executed among whom was Chitepo himself.
258. In a statement to the Commission, Chigowe said, ‘Our Party has
“a vow” which the Party studiously prosecutes, that is, any member of
the Party whois found in a zig-zagging manner and becomes a stumbling-
block, he is to suffer at the hands of the Party.’ Something to the same
effect was admitted by Tongogara in his statement to the Mozambique
Authorities. The evidence clearly shows that Chitepo and other Manyikas
were ‘stumbling-blocks’, more particularly immediately before and after
the Nhari Rebellion.
259. The Commission found that Chitepo had been placed in virtual
custody of the cadres who were suspicious and hostile to him but who were
loyal to the Karanga members of DARE. On his return from Malawi the
members of DARE and the High Command were very angry to see that
he alone returned, leaving his two colleagues (Hamadziripi and Chigowe)
in the custody of the Malawi Authorities. In his letter of the 10th March,
1975, addressed to his wife (Mrs Victoria Chitepo) Chitepo described how
he was suspicious and distrustful of his two colleagues (Hamadziripi and
Chigowe) who had just travelled with him to Malawi.
260. The members of DARE and the High Command decided on the
15th March, 1975, to kill Chitepo for reasons already stated. On that day,
Dauramanzi and Mpunzarima were sent to collect a bomb from Rex
Nhongo. They returned on Monday, 17th March, 1975, when Chimurenga
handed the bomb to Sadat Kufamazuba for safe keeping until midnight
when Chimurenga, Rudo, Short and Sadat planted the bomb on the
driver’s side of Chitepo’s car. The four men were acting under the direc-
tions of Tongogara. On the same night, Tongogara sent Robson Manyika
to Chitepo’s house to go and check whether Chimurenga, Rudo and Short
had carried out the mission. Manyika said he did all this and reported back
to Tongogara. This account is consistent with the corroborative evidence
of the members of DARE and the High Command before the Commission
and with their demeanour when they appeared before us.
261. The members of DARE and the High Command could all,
therefore, be indicated as principals to the murder of Chitepo because,
jointly and severally, they actively desired to bring this about, and did,
in fact, bring it about. Although only one individual may have completed
49