ZNA to Construct New Boarding High School in Ngezi

Takudzwa Karowangoro

The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) is set to break ground for the construction of a new high school with boarding facilities in Ngezi, in a move that reinforces the military’s expanding role in Zimbabwe’s education sector.

The project is being spearheaded by the 5 Infantry Brigade and will add to the ZNA’s growing educational portfolio, which currently comprises 19 primary and secondary schools spread across the country. The new institution is expected to significantly improve access to quality education in the predominantly rural Ngezi area.

ZNA Commander, Walter Tapfumaneyi, said the initiative is deeply rooted in the army’s liberation-war legacy and its long-standing belief in education as a cornerstone of national development. He noted that empowering communities through education remains a strategic priority for the defence forces beyond their traditional security mandate.

“This project reflects the values that guided the liberation struggle, where education was viewed as a powerful tool for empowerment and national transformation,” he said.

The new high school forms part of the infrastructure development cluster under the Government’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), a national policy framework aimed at propelling Zimbabwe towards upper-middle-income status by 2030.

By boosting human capital development in a rural setting, the project aligns with NDS2’s objectives of improving access to quality education, fostering socio-economic mobility, and strengthening the country’s future workforce. Once completed, the school is expected to ease pressure on existing institutions while offering boarding facilities that will cater for learners from surrounding communities.

The initiative underscores the ZNA’s continued contribution to nation-building through social infrastructure development, complementing government efforts to create inclusive and sustainable educational opportunities for all Zimbabweans.