Staff Reporter
SHAMVA – Gold mining company Canterbury Mining has invested in the expansion and modernisation of Zvitokwe Primary School in Shamva as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, improving access to quality education for hundreds of children in the surrounding communities.
The company, whose investors are based in the Netherlands, has financed the construction of modern classroom blocks and teachers’ accommodation at the school, transforming a facility that previously struggled with inadequate infrastructure into a fully equipped learning institution.
The development has increased the school’s capacity to accommodate more than 800 learners, with current enrolment standing at 455 pupils.
Speaking during a visit to the school, Canterbury Mining secretary Samuel Tinashe Rusike said the investment was part of the company’s commitment to leaving a lasting positive impact in communities where it operates.
Rusike said the decision to invest in education infrastructure was also influenced by the government’s drive to attract foreign investment under the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra.
“The President is a man who inspires confidence and is a winning man, and our investors felt that they wanted to join a winning team by heeding his call that Zimbabwe is open for business. Our investors from the Netherlands embraced this call,” he said.
“Because he is a winning team, we also wanted to do corporate social responsibility that is tangible. We did not want to let the President down for allowing us to invest, and we wanted to do something that the community embraces and be part of the winning team.”
Before the intervention, Zvitokwe Primary School faced severe infrastructure challenges, with limited classrooms and inadequate accommodation for teachers.
School authorities said the situation had affected teaching and learning, with some classrooms being shared by multiple teachers.
School representative Mapako said the investment had completely changed the learning environment.
“Our situation was dire. We only had three houses that accommodated seven teachers. We had only one class that was utilised by four teachers. The school’s infrastructure was not conducive,” he said.
“Through our Member of Parliament, Mr Mapiki, we managed to see development. We now have 16 teachers, and everyone has their own classes thanks to Canterbury for their generosity. All classes are fully furnished with chairs and desks. The school has everything that classifies it as a state-of-the-art facility.”
Shamva South Member of Parliament Joseph Mapiki said Canterbury Mining’s investment demonstrated the role companies can play in supporting community development.
“This was a bushy area, and with the help of the community, Canterbury Mining Company came in, and we managed to construct the school, which is one of the 14 new schools in that area,” he said.
“For us, we are saying if you want to invest in our area, what do you offer to our community? Canterbury did not give us a challenge as they told us from the outset that they wanted to build a school and a clinic.”
Mapiki urged communities to engage investors on the benefits they can bring beyond their core business operations.
The school’s expansion has provided additional classroom space, improved teacher accommodation and created a better learning environment for pupils.
Canterbury Mining is also planning further community investments, including the establishment of a secondary school and a health clinic, as it continues its CSR programme alongside its mining activities.
