President Mugabe Donates Bus, Computers Teacher's College

President Mugabe Donates Bus, Computers Teacher's College

PRESIDENT Mugabe has donated 20 computers, printers and a luxury bus to Bondolfi Teacher's College to fulfil a promise he made to the Masvingo-based and Roman Catholic-run institution when he attended its golden jubilee last month. The donation was done at State House in Harare at a ceremony attended by Acting Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Dr Ignatius Chombo, senior Government officials, lecturers and students from the college. The President said he was touched by the plight of the institution during his first visit last month.

"When I visited your school for the first time, I was extremely impressed but I was also dismayed that there were these shortcomings that were narrated to me," President Mugabe said.

He also apologised that it had taken him 33 years to visit the institution following the attainment of independence, adding the donation was a way of admitting his oversight.

"I accepted it and I said I was going to pay my fine so this (donation) is paying my fine kuti ndigadziridze zita rangu kuti pamakore 33 nditadze kutsika tsoka yangu paBondolfi?

"That institution that has trained a lot of teachers. That was a serious omission," President Mugabe said.

President Mugabe said he had embarked on a programme to equip schools and other learning institutions using funds he sources from well-wishers.

"Not a single cent that has gone into the computers has come from Government and I did it deliberately so that we go to our own people to enrich our own education system," he said.

President Mugabe embarked on a schools' computerisation programme over a decade ago that has seen most schools across the country receiving computers and other accessories.

Apart from the 20 computers, President Mugabe also donated 12 printers, 100 blank DVDs, 20 multimedia speakers and four printer servers while the 70-seater luxury bus is fitted with three television sets, a refrigerator and an air conditioning system.