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Harare, Bulawayo schools to close for Zanu PF congress

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PRIMARY and secondary schools in Harare and Bulawayo will close today, a week earlier than scheduled to accommodate thousands of delegates

PRIMARY and secondary schools in Harare and Bulawayo will close today, a week earlier than scheduled to accommodate thousands of delegates to attend the Zanu PF congress in the capital and the Region 5 Youth Games in Bulawayo respectively.

MOSES MATENGA/ PRIVILEGE SHOKO

In a circular sent to all schools by the Ministry of Education, all schools in the two cities will close today, a development that put teachers’ plans for the year-end in disarray.

According to the Zimbabwe school calendar, primary and secondary schools are due to close their end of third term on December 4.

Most schools and colleges will be used to accommodate thousands of delegates to attend the Zanu PF indaba in the capital, while the same will happen in Bulawayo where schools will accommodate participants at the Youth Games.

Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu confirmed the development, but said the move was uncalled for and would jeopardise the teachers’ plans and proper transition by pupils into higher grades.

Though he was not clear why the dates were moved, Ndlovu suspected the move was meant to accommodate the Zanu PF congress delegates set for Harare next week and the national Youth Games for Bulawayo.

“I have not seen the circular, but I have heard about that. Schools in Harare and Bulawayo are closing tomorrow (today) instead of next week,” Ndlovu said. “The reason in Bulawayo is because of the Youth Games, while in Harare, it is because of the major event next week.”

Colleges were also set to be affected by the development and students were also supposed to vacate the premises before Thursday next week.

“Technically, everyone is out. Polytechnics won’t be affected because the last exam was on November 24, but there is a directive that students should vacate before the congress,” a source at one of the colleges said.

Education minister Lazarus Dokora could not be reached for comment.

In an interview yesterday, Bulawayo provincial education director Dan Moyo said: “Schools in Bulawayo will close tomorrow, but other schools, nationally, will close on the exact closing date.”

Bulawayo is set to host 10 countries from the region with participants taking part in athletics, netball, swimming, basketball, football, tennis, boxing and judo from December 5 to 14.

The venues for the games include the National University of Science and Technology, Hillside Teachers’ College, Bulawayo Athletic Club, Bulawayo City Pool, Barbourfields Stadium, Luveve Stadium and White City Stadium.

About 1 500 athletes and officials from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and the hosts, Zimbabwe, are expected to take part in the games and will be accommodated at Hillside Teachers’ College.