Zwenshambe primary school to transform to centre of excellence
Zwenshambe community aims to establish Zwenshambe Primary School as a centre of primary education excellence, with a focus on both academic and foundational digitalisation skills to enable high productivity among the community.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi said at the 85th anniversary of the primary school over the weekend that government fully supports the plan.
He said in pursuance of education coupled with the spirit of self-reliance, the relentless efforts to develop the village culminated into the establishment of the Zwenshambe Community Junior Secondary School in 1983 and later the Zwenshambe Development Trust Brigade.
“Today we witness the effort, having transformed from an idea to an institute of learning which is on a journey towards transformation into a centre of educational foundation of learning towards academic excellence, performing arts of international acclaim, foundation of technology mind-set including sowing the seeds for creative minds,” he told his audience that had gathered at the village kgotla. He added that this demonstrated that the ideas of visionaries were in alignment with the shaping of the national progress towards prosperity for all. He explained that Botswana has set itself ambitious targets towards the attainment of the Vision 2036 Sustainable Economic Development Pillars.
Masisi said these align with the global agenda for sustainable development and the principles of Africa’s Agenda 2063, to ensure that the country pursues the national aspirations in a way that enables Botswana to meet the global and regional goals.
Masisi added that government intends to identify new sectors in the global export product space that can successfully grow in Botswana, resulting in significant job creation for youth, while also driving much-needed export diversification.
“It is extremely important that the people change their mind-set if the country’s goal to attain high income status is to be achieved. For that to happen, Botswana must create capacity for entrepreneurship, eliminating inferiority complex, as well as implementation of government and strategic reforms that put citizen economic inclusion at the centre of economic development initiatives.”
Relating the history of the village, the President, who is himself a teacher, told his audience that Zwenshambe Primary School was initiated in 1939 by two villagers - Philip Hlomani Chabale and Palalani Mafa who, at the time, worked as a salesman and tailor respectively for a certain Khumalo store in Domboshaba Village in the then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. The two were converts of the London Missionary Society. “The school was initially a Christian gathering centre, where students were taught Christianity and how to read the Holy
Bible. Chabale was himself, a product of the Tigerkloof College in South Africa, which is famous for producing Botswana’s founding fathers,” Masisi said.
He added that visionary community leadership used self-reliance activities such as mephato and letsema to build the primary school classrooms and teaching staff quarters, using traditional materials such as mud for walls, as well as mapako (poles) for pillars and rafters and grass for thatching including wooden stools for classroom chairs.
At the time, students were taught under trees, some of which remain standing to date. The pupils used stones and sticks as teaching aids.
Masisi noted that writing was done on the sand on the ground, as there were no books. With time came the advent of slates, followed by the introduction of exercise books, on which nib and ink were used for writing before the current books and modern pens came into the picture. Meanwhile, the majority of the teaching staff came from South Africa with only a few from Botswana. Some of the well-known alumni, who attended Zwenshambe Primary School and who went on to contribute to Botswana’s nation building include Obed Itani Chilume, Sebutseng Mokgosi, Ketshwanetse Manje, Bashaki Makoche, Dr. Muzila Malikongwa, Mbiganyi Charles Tibone, Phandu Skelemani, Simon Moabi (Tati West MP), Professor Happy Siphambe, Dr Kutlwano Mulale, Dr Badziili Nfila, Isafi Woto, Dingaan Mapondo Mulale, Levy Gwaloba and many others.