The installation of solar-powered boreholes at two Bulawayo schools has been hailed as a major step towards improving access to clean water and strengthening school-based food security projects, amid growing concerns by councillors over governance issues and inclusivity in schools run by the local authority.
According to the latest council minutes, Sizalendaba Secondary School and JW Mthimkhulu Primary School each received a solarised borehole donated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a development council officials said would transform the lives of learners and surrounding communities.
“Water is an essential resource and access to a reliable supply is crucial for schools and communities,” the report noted.
Council said the boreholes would not only improve access to potable water, but also support nutrition gardens and income-generating projects aimed at sustaining school feeding programmes.
“Reliable water sustains progress,” the report stated, adding that boreholes played a critical role in enhancing food security and building resilience within schools.
Keep Reading
- Teachers shun Sizalendaba School citing poor working condition
- Byo school poor pass rate irks residents
The local authority expressed gratitude to the church for the donation, while placing responsibility for the long-term management and sustainability of the boreholes on the beneficiary schools.
However, discussions around the report quickly widened into broader concerns over governance, accountability and inclusivity in council schools.
Ward 27 councillor, Lizzy Sibanda, requested clarity over social-media allegations claiming that US$4 800 had been misappropriated at Dumezweni Primary School.
“The issue came into light during an AGM meeting at the school after the presentation of a financial report,” Sibanda said.
Ward 11 councillor, Suzan Sithole, said a similar case had previously emerged at Josiah Chinamano Primary School in Ward 11, involving a bursar who was allegedly reinstated and transferred within council structures.
Councillor Mercy Furanayi also raised concerns over what she described as poor implementation of council’s disability policy.
“Council schools should accommodate children with special needs and disability,” she said, pointing to a lack of inclusive infrastructure in many schools.
Supporting the concerns, Ward 2 councillor, Adrian Rendani Moyo, said disability inclusion required broader stakeholder engagement and improved infrastructure standards.
“Disability is very broad; as such, there is a need to be inclusive in all school activities,” Moyo said.
He noted that some schools continued to struggle with inaccessible ablution facilities and called for staff training to better support learners living with disabilities.
“There are international standards that could guide improvements to infrastructure to accommodate special needs and disability,” he added. Council’s housing and community services department moved to dismiss allegations surrounding Dumezweni Primary School, insisting investigations had found no evidence of financial abuse.
The assistant director of housing and community services (social services) explained that confusion arose after a school treasurer allegedly presented a second financial report during an annual general meeting, which had not been approved by the school development committee.
The report reportedly suggested parents were still being charged sewer levies for a project completed in 2023 and implied that funds had been misused.
“The circulating social media leaked report was not true and should be dismissed,” the official said.
Council said an audit had been conducted and established there was no misappropriation of funds.
Officials further explained that the sewer project had been initiated in 2021 after part of the school became waterlogged, affecting the septic tank system.
On the issue involving Josiah Chinamano Primary School, council said disciplinary procedures had been followed and the matter had since been reported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police and was before the courts. Chairperson of the committee, Ward 23 councillor, Ntombizodwa Khumalo, acknowledged progress in improving inclusivity at some council schools but admitted that certain specialised conditions still required referral to institutions better equipped to cater for learners with disabilities, such as King George VI Centre.
The report was ultimately received and noted by the committee, but the debate exposed growing pressure on Bulawayo City Council to balance infrastructure development with stronger governance, accountability and inclusive education systems.