‘Dokora stole my idea’

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A Bulawayo man has claimed Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora “stole” his idea to have Ordinary Level students undergo driving lessons beginning next year.

A Bulawayo man has claimed Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora “stole” his idea to have Ordinary Level students undergo driving lessons beginning next year.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

Dokora recently announced plans to make it compulsory for “O” Level pupils to acquire drivers’ licences in line with his proposed Life Orientation Skill Programme contained in the curriculum review.

DR-DOKORA

Nontiwani Dlodlo claimed he initiated the project and was given the go-ahead to pilot the project in Mberengwa in 2012, only to be stopped by the ministry, which argued that there was need for more public consultations.

Dlodlo showed Southern Eye supporting documents and letters from the Ministry of Education giving him the go-ahead to offer driving lessons at school on a pilot basis.

“Dokora stole my idea. It was my initiative which got the seal of approval from his ministry. It’s purely politics of accrediting,” he said yesterday.

“I made an application to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education way back in 2012 to introduce driving as a subject at secondary level.

“The project was to be piloted in Mberengwa because there are no industries there. So, armed with driving licences, one would get a job as a bus or truck driver.

“On November 1, 2012, I got a response from the principal director in the department of education, co-ordination and development, a Dr Elizabeth Marunda, giving me the go-ahead.”

Dlodlo said the pilot project launch was set for February 15, 2013, but was cancelled on the eve of its commencement.

He claimed several follow-up meetings were held with the ministry staff, Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe and Vehicle Inspection Department over the project, but “nothing came out of them as I was not given any go-ahead to start training students”.

“We set the pilot project launch date for February 15, 2013,” Dlodlo narrated.

“However, on the eve of the launch, I got a call from Marunda saying she had been instructed to inform me that the launch had to be stopped. She gave no reasons, but merely said I would be invited for meetings during the curriculum review.

“That never happened. So on Sunday, I was shocked to read that driving will be introduced at school level. They stole my idea.” Dokora was unreachable for comment yesterday.