Mthuli Ncube donates soccer kits to Cowdray Park Schools

THE Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Professor Mthuli Ncube continued to fulfil his pledge to develop Cowdray Park and strengthen links with the community after he donated football kits to six schools located at the suburb.

The six recipients included Mkhithika Primary School, Mahlathini Primary School, Tategulu Primary School, Cowdray Park Primary School, Luveve High School, Vulindlela High School and Cowdray Park High School.

The donation is a fulfilment of the promise he made towards the run up to the August 23 general elections when he was vying for the national assembly for the Cowdray Park constituency. Professor Ncube who was accompanied by the constituency's Member of Parliament Auther Mujeyi as well as senior Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials said the donation was part of the program which seeks to develop Cowdray Park into a smart city.

"I am here in Cowdray Park to continue with the projects that we started and to develop this area into a smart city. Today the program was about schools, we managed to meet six primary schools and give them soccer kits as well as footballs so that they can really upgrade the quality of their sporting in schools

I will be back to donate kits for netball next week as we must not forget the girls. This is important and we must continue to support schools. We have a fully developed school support programs here in Cowdray Park, we have given out laptops to equip the ICT departments at schools," said Prof Ncube.

He said they have solarised boreholes as they want to ensure that there is enough water for each borehole, and in line with the Government's program there will be a nutritional garden for each borehole to support production of food as well as to support agricultural studies in the schools.

"Some of the schools need further infrastructural developments in terms of additional classrooms and so forth. We have two sources of funding from the Government apart from the private funding resources that we have been raising. These sources of funding are the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) which will come through the local Member of Parliament. He should be able to sort the CDF funding directly to these kinds of issues that involve schools and the health.

"We also have the devolution funding, every province and district in the county has access to these funds so again we will be directing some of these funds towards the school infrastructure and the health sector. I am pleased to be here and continuing with the development programs that we started," said Prof Ncube.

Four of the schools that benefitted from the donations are council owned schools and its Principal Education Officer Mr Thumamina Khumalo expressed his gratitude over the gesture saying it will go a long way in improving the quality of sport and education in the area.

"What we have to understand is that not all students are gifted academically. We have a lot of talent within our schools some which has went on to even excel in professional spaces. These need this kind of support which does not only motivate them but improves the quality of the sport," said Mr Khumalo.