School Boom or Bluff? Minister Torerayi Moyo’s Claim Under Scrutiny

HARARE – Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerayi Moyo, has sparked backlash after claiming in Parliament that the country has built more than 600 schools since 2022—even as thousands of qualified teachers remain unemployed due to a government-imposed hiring freeze.

Moyo said the country is steadily closing a 3,000-school deficit identified in a 2022 study.

“Since 2022 until now in 2025, we have built more than 600 schools. This year, we are targeting to build not less than 200 schools,” he told MPs.

Moyo clarified that the figure includes schools constructed not only by the government but also by churches, NGOs, private companies, and individual ministers.

He cited The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which he said built seven schools in 2025, and the Johane Marange Apostolic Church, reportedly constructing more than eight schools this year.

He also mentioned 25 schools funded by the National Building Society (NBS), a pledged US$20 million grant from the OPEC Fund for International Development, and support from Algeria.

However, the minister’s claim has drawn sharp criticism from education unions and civil society, who say the figures lack transparency and supporting evidence.

Raymond Majongwe, secretary general of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), challenged Moyo to substantiate the numbers.

“Can the minister show us photos and names of just five of these schools? The minister should be reminded that his colleague the finance minister said they are concentrating on three schools, so where are these 600 schools coming from?” Majongwe asked.

Obert Masaraure, president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), echoed the concerns.

“We have asked the government to provide names of the schools they have built and the exact locations of the schools. The government is not willing to provide such information.

“The minister is a bad liar and even a political novice can easily pick the lie. Zimbabwe desperately needs schools to provide education to the millions of children in need of education. We still need at least 3,000 schools,” he said.

Masaraure urged authorities to stop “cooking up numbers” and instead establish an education equalisation fund, financed partly by a levy on mineral wealth, to support school construction and rehabilitation.

He also called for land to be allocated to private developers willing to build low-cost schools, arguing that sustainable solutions require more than bold claims.

The contradiction between infrastructure expansion and staffing shortages has become a major concern.

While the government highlights progress in school construction, the Public Service Commission continues to struggle with deploying teachers due to the treasury-imposed hiring freeze.

Overcrowded classrooms and idle graduates remain widespread, raising questions about the long-term impact of the infrastructure drive.

As reported by Ignite Media Zimbabwe, education stakeholders say the government must align its infrastructure goals with a clear staffing strategy and greater transparency.

Without that, critics warn, the numbers may be impressive but the outcomes will remain incomplete.