Mohadis, BBR 'ignore' desperate Mtetengwe school

Mtetengwe Primary School, situated just 21 kilometers outside Beitbridge, stands as a stark symbol of neglect and missed opportunity despite being surrounded by wealth and influence. The school, located two kilometers from the homesteads of Vice-President Kembo Mohadi and his former wife Senator Tambudzani Mohadi, is in dire need of renovation, with pupils forced to learn in deplorable conditions.

A visit to the school reveals crumbling infrastructure, with sections of roofs blown off and floors weathered away. The situation is particularly dire for examination classes, with 76 Grade 6 and 42 Grade 7 pupils forced to learn in the open, using the staffroom as their classroom.

One teacher at the school, speaking anonymously, said the situation had persisted for years. "Our examination class is learning from outside. We are desperate, and we have been like this for a long time," the teacher said.

Despite its strategic location near major economic hubs like the Schweppes-owned Beitbridge Juicing Plant, citrus estates, and the lucrative Bubye Valley Conservancy, the school has been left behind. The conservancy generates millions through wildlife tourism, while the nearby Zhovhe Dam and Leisure Park attract visitors. Yet, Mtetengwe remains a forgotten institution.

Adding to the irony is the school's proximity to the busy Beitbridge-Bulawayo highway and a Zimbabwe National Roads Administration tollgate, which could have been sources of support.

In its early days, the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Railways (BBR) adopted Mtetengwe Primary as part of its corporate social responsibility program, promising to maintain the school. However, those commitments have since been ignored. An official at BBR declined to comment on the school's plight, saying, "I cannot comment on the situation for now. Just send me the pictures and let me see."

Local residents, including Elias Chibi, who hails from the same village as Vice-President Mohadi, have expressed shame over the state of the school.

"We should be in a better place. Our school is just meters from an international road and in the vicinity of some of the country's biggest money spinners like the Bubye Valley Conservancy. I even blame us as the local community. We must be able to pool resources and take care of our school. I am embarrassed," Chibi said.

Despite calls for community action, Mtetengwe requires far less than US$10,000 to repair its classrooms.

The neglect of Mtetengwe Primary stands in sharp contrast to the development of schools in other regions led by Zimbabwe's political elite. In 2004, the late former President Robert Mugabe donated two buses to Kutama Secondary School in his home village, having previously spearheaded the school's construction and upgrading efforts.

Similarly, last November, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga opened a state-of-the-art private boarding school in his home district of Hwedza. The school, Northend High, accommodates 240 students and began operating this year.

Mtetengwe's plight underscores the need for equitable investment in education, particularly for schools in rural areas. As millions are generated in the surrounding region, the question remains: will those in power step in to ensure Mtetengwe Primary gets the modest support it needs, or will the school continue to crumble in the shadow of wealth and privilege?