ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR President, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, has pledged to increase investment in infrastructures as key driving forces to boost economic growth and development.
Dr Mwinyi made the promise when officiating at the opening of the newly built Utaani Girls Secondary School in Wete, North Pemba on Wednesday.
The school was burnt after a fire accident in March last year which destroyed girls’ hostel and other properties.
Dr Mwinyi visited the burnt school and promised to replace it with a modern structure. Construction of the three-storey building started in May last year.
President Mwinyi said his government will continue investing in infrastructure development with priority in education sector because it guarantees reliable workforce, highly needed in development, for good planning and implementation of various programmes.
“I am happy to have fulfilled my promise to have a new building after the inferno. The schools had only 11 classrooms, but with new development the school has 41 classrooms. I urge students and teachers to maintain it.” Dr Mwinyi also promised that the government will build a new hostel.
He instructed the Zanzibar Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to develop the school further by constructing a multipurpose hall and a playground that will match the new-look of the school.
In addition, President Mwinyi also agreed to the request made by the people of the North Pemba Region, to improve the existing Jadida primary School in Wete Pemba, which has old buildings, and explained that government will also build a new primary school in the area.
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To further develop Pemba Island, Dr Mwinyi said that the government through its ‘Zanzibar Housing Corporation (ZHC)’ will carry out a major renovation of the island’s dilapidated development houses (popular as Nyumba za maendeleo za Michezani), and build 4,000 quality houses in Unguja and Pemba for people to buy or rent.
“The government is also on-course to develop the port of Wete in north Pemba Region, and other ports in Pemba such as Shumba to boost transportation and trade with other regions,” said Dr Mwinyi.
The Minister for Education and Vocational Training Ms Lela Mohamed Mussa praised President Mwinyi’s efforts for allowing more investments in education sector, promising to maintain the schools.
The Principal Secretary (PS) in the ministry Mr Khamis Abdalla Said explained that the construction of Utaani school started in May last year at the cost of about 6.2bn/-.
The new school has 41 classrooms, four teachers’ offices, the head teacher’s office, 32 toilets, a library, a laboratory, computer room and store.
On her part, member of the House of Representatives for Wete Ms Harusi Said Suleiman, who also serves as the Minister of State- Office of the First Vice-President, thanked Dr Mwinyi for continuing to develop Zanzibar infrastructures.
The Regional Commissioner (RC) for North Pemba Ms Salama Mbarouk Khatibu said people in the region now focus on development and “have abandoned the old dirty politics of hatred.
He said people continue to strengthen unity, peace and stability among themselves regardless of their political differences.