“I spent most of the CDF money repairing primary schools which were really in a bad state. Primary schools are the foundation of our education and we thought it was wise to spend resources on them,” said Sibanda.
At Moray primary school in Ward Five, the CDF was used to repaint the school. The headmistress of Henry Low primary school, Samukeliso Giyani, paid tribute to Sibanda for giving priority to primary schools.
“We had serious problems with our toilets, which were built during the Rhodesian era. The MP assisted us in revamping the toilets,” said Giyani. The school also benefitted from 240 infant chairs and desks.
“Before we got the chairs, some of the children were sitting on the floor while some used to share one old chair. The MP is always at the school encouraging us to continue working hard, despite the challenges we are facing,” she said. Another school that greatly benefitted from the fund is Milton Junior.
“Milton Junior will never be the same after the assistance we got from the MP. We were bought a 1000l water tank and a welding machine. Instead of forking out money on welding, we are now welding everything at the school, including broken chairs and desks. We have also reduced our water bill because we are now using underground water for domestic use,” said Pettie Nyoni, the school’s headmaster.
Other primary schools that have benefitted from the fund are Moray primary school, Trenance primary, and Robert Treggold.
The vice secretary of the School Development Association, James Sibangani, said under the fund, Robert Treggold managed to drill a borehole, set up a computer lab and repaint the rooftops of some of the school’s buildings.
“As parents, the SDA inspired us to come up with renovation projects for our school. We are really grateful for the MP for giving us a large chunk of the money. We hope she will be re-elected and help us to complete some of our projects,” said Sibangani. Sibanda who is the MDC-T Joint Monitoring and Implementation committee
co-chairperson for Bulawayo, is being challenged by Nick Brown in the party’s primary elections.
“I know the challenge ahead is very tough but I believe I still need another term to complete some of my projects. I need to address some of the challenges in our clinics and need to attend to problems like street kids and dilapidated infrastructure which is rife in my constituency,” said Sibanda.
Sibanda was elected Member of Parliament for the area in 2008. She has been very vocal both in parliament on issues concerning women and the girl child. Sibanda and other women parliamentarians, including Deputy Prime minister Thokozani Khupe, fought vigorously for the scrapping of user fees at hospitals for pregnant mothers.
“I am a mother and I know the hard times we go through. Since my election, I have been fighting for the rights of women and young girls. Even if I lose the election, I am proud of all that I have acheived,” she added.
Post published in: News