A surge in population linked to expanding mining and energy activities has left Nechibondo Primary School in Hwange’s Empumalanga high-density suburb struggling to cope with rising enrolments.
This has forced the Hwange Local Board (HLB) to consider building an additional public school with several prospective students failing to enrol at Nechibondo Primary.
Nechibondo, the only public primary school serving Empumalanga, now has an enrolment exceeding 1 700 pupils, far beyond its capacity.
As a result, 17 classes are operating under a hot-sitting arrangement each week due to inadequate classroom space.
Hwange Local Board Town secretary, Ndumiso Mdlalose, said the rinflux of workers into the district’s mining and energy sectors has had a direct impact on social services, particularly education.
“Over the years, Hwange has experienced steady population growth as people migrate to the area in search of employment in the mining and energy sectors,” Mdlalose said.
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“Many of these workers have settled with their families, resulting in increased enrolments at local schools.
“The expansion of residential settlements has further compounded the situation, with more children per household entering the education system, leading to a significant surge in learner numbers at Nechibondo Primary School.”
The pressure on Nechibondo is worsened by the limited availability of affordable alternatives.
The only other primary school in Empumalanga is privately owned.
Three additional schools serving the nearby medium- and low-density suburbs of Chibondo and Baobab are also private institutions, placing them beyond the reach of many low-income households.
In response, the local authority has identified land in Dynamic Village for the construction of a new public primary school aimed at easing congestion at Nechibondo.
“We have already mobilised some of the resources, particularly construction materials, for at least two classroom blocks and an administration block for the new school,” Mdlalose said.
“In the same vein, we have completed the requisite documentation to facilitate the procurement of labour in line with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe regulations.”
HLB estimates the project will cost more than US$500 000.
Funding is expected to come from the local authority’s own resources or through the Devolution Fund.
Beyond the Dynamic Village project, council has earmarked three additional sites for future schools — one in the DRC section of Empumalanga and two in Empumalanga Phase 4 — in anticipation of continued population growth.