O Zapu’s Mathew Sibanda has sharply criticised the government’s decision to make Zimsec examinations compulsory in all schools while also opposing plans to rename some of Zimbabwe’s historic schools.
Sibanda described the policies as “misguided” and accused the government of focusing on symbolic political decisions instead of fixing the country’s struggling education system.
The government, through Primary and Secondary School Education minister Torerai Moyo, recently announced that all schools would be required to write Zimsec examinations.
Authorities have also proposed changing the names of schools considered to reflect the country’s colonial past, including institutions such as Prince Edward School and Milton High School.
Sibanda argued that changing the names of long-established schools would amount to erasing history rather than correcting it.
“You cannot change history by simply removing names from buildings. History, whether painful or glorious must be preserved and understood by future generations,” Sibanda said.
He said the government should instead concentrate on improving educational standards, building modern schools and investing in learning infrastructure.
“If government leaders want to honour our national heroes and cultural icons, they should build new schools, universities, libraries and institutions and give them those names. Destroying historical identity is not nation-building,” he said.
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Sibanda accused authorities of neglecting the real challenges facing Zimbabwe’s education sector, including underfunded schools, shortages of learning materials and declining academic standards.
The O Zapu leader also questioned what he called the selective application of government policies, arguing that public officials themselves often avoid relying on struggling state institutions.
“If government truly believes public institutions are functioning properly, then every public official regardless of status should first seek treatment in public hospitals before introducing compulsory policies for citizens,” he said.
He added that Zimbabweans deserve quality public services rather than political slogans.
He warned that national development could not be achieved through “renaming campaigns” while critical sectors continue to deteriorate.
The government has defended the proposed changes as part of efforts to promote national identity and remove colonial-era symbols from public institutions.
However, critics argue that the move risks deepening political divisions while failing to address urgent economic and social challenges.
