Matabeleland North to get polytechnic, teachers' college

THE Hwange Local Board has allocated 17 hectares of land to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development for the construction of a Polytechnic and Teachers College, paving way for the province to have its first such institutions since independence.

In a statement last week, the Hwange Local Board secretary Pastor Ndumiso Mdlalose said council initially allocated 3.6 hectares after the Ministry had applied for land to build a teachers college. He said 17 hectares was allocated after the Ministry also indicated that it now wanted to pursue the construction of a Polytechnic College.

"In 2020, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development approached Hwange Local Board seeking land for the construction of Hwange Teachers' College and it was duly allocated 3,6 hectares for the construction of the tertiary institution.

However, late last year, the Ministry opted to include construction of a Polytechnic College to its scope of work.

"This prompted the Ministry to approach council again, seeking more land for the construction of the two infrastructures, a teachers and polytechnic college and council acceded to the Ministry's request and resolved to allocate 17 hectares to pave way for the commencement of the project," said Pastor Mdlalose in a statement to the media.

He said council sees the proposed construction of the institutions as a major milestone not only for Hwange, but Matabeleland North as a whole.

The province does not have a teachers or a polytechnic college, a situation, which has over the years made it difficult for people from that part of the country to pursue tertiary education.

"The coming on board of these learning institutions is largely expected to spur Hwange's economic activities," Pastor Mdlalose said.

The development was welcomed by Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Richard Moyo who described it as a milestone for the development of the province in the context of the Second Republic's Vision 2030 which aspires for a middle-income economy by 2030.

"This development is important for Matabeleland North in general and Hwange in particular because since independence we have not had an education training institution or a vocational training college.

This will go a long way towards the province's effort to attain a middle-income economy which is the vision of the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa," Moyo said.

Moyo also said the development will encourage the use of indigenous languages such as Tonga and Nambya in local schools as local teachers will now be tutored in these languages.

"We now have an opportunity to ensure that we have teachers who can speak and teach in our indigenous languages like Tonga and Nambya because we are now guaranteed more teachers from the region."

He said funding for the construction of the two institutions has already been availed and work was expected to start soon.

"I was approached by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development to help expedite access to land which I did and now with the assistance of the Hwange Local Board, the land has been made available.

Funding for construction of these two colleges was already in place and all that was stopping construction from commencing was the land issue which has now been finalised," he said.

The development comes after the United College of Education had opened an annex college in Hwange to start training teachers.

The annex is operating as Hwange Teachers College. However, lack of infrastructure had seen some of the staff at the institution reportedly sleeping in classrooms and storerooms after failing to secure accommodation.

The college is housed at the old Thomas Coulter School. Sources at the institution said the situation was dire as the failure by the institution to provide their staff with accommodation was affecting learning.

"There are lecturers who are staying at the college sleeping in classrooms and storerooms. The place was an annex of Hwange Government High school before being used by Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU). The conditions there are appalling as the places that they are using are not conducive. There is a part of rooms that used to house a caretaker a long time ago," said one source.

The storerooms have no proper ablution facilities and electricity connection, among other things.