Government identifies new site for Globe and Phoenix Primary School

The government has identified a new site to build the Globe and Phoenix Primary School which was closed last week following an incident in which the floor of one of the classrooms caved in, resulting in 18 pupils being injured.

All the 18 Grade 5 pupils, who escaped with minor injuries when their classroom gave in due to underground tunnels dug by illegal miners, were treated at the Kwekwe General Hospital and discharged.

Kwekwe District Development Coordinator Fortune Mupungu confirmed that they had identified a site along the Kwekwe-Harare Road where the new school would be built.

“We have identified a site along the Kwekwe-Harare Road,” he said indicating when construction work would start.

A local hotelier and Business Economic Empowerment Forum president Dr Solomon Matsa brought smiles on the faces of Kwekwe residents when he pledged to construct four classroom blocks at the new site.

Mupungu said government departments and agencies had pledged to assist the school children to have a safe learning environment by providing financial resources and tents.

Some of the pupils are now learning at the nearby Sally Mugabe Primary School also along the Harare-Kwekwe Road.

“We agreed that pupils will be accommodated at Sally Mugabe Primary School.

“Globe and Phoenix Primary School has 1 300 pupils and Sally Mugabe Primary School does not have hot sitting, so pupils from Globe and Phoenix will be accommodated in the afternoon,” said Mupungu who is also the District Civil Protection Unit chairperson.

“Government departments and agencies pledged to assist the school. The Red Cross will also assist with tents. The CPU Harare has assisted financially as well as tents.”

Mupungu said they were now waiting for a technical survey report from the Mines Ministry about the safety of Kwekwe Central Business District which is 500 metres away from the disused Globe and Phoenix Mine.

“We can only ascertain the safety of the CBD once a technical survey is carried out,” he said.

There are several tunnels beneath the city of Kwekwe forming a network with those from Gaika Mine. However, city engineers have assured residents that city buildings are safe.

The longest tunnel that passes beneath the CBD is 43 km long and 873 metres deep. This depth is level 26 and 27 which is way below sea level, posing no threat to city buildings. New Ziana