Teachers at Kapekesa Primary School in Chasefu District of Eastern Province have hailed the government for the ongoing construction of five staff houses, funded through the 2025 community component of the Constituency Development Funds (CDF).
The project, which had stalled since 2009 is now back on track with a K2.1 million injection from the 2025 CDF allocation.
ZANIS reports that Kapekesa Primary School Headteacher Khuzwayo Gondwe expressed gratitude, noting that the school has never had standard housing for teachers since it was established.
Mr Gondwe said the few houses available were built by the community and the Catholic Church and most teachers are forced to live in makeshift structures, while others commute daily from Lundazi to Chasefu.
”These houses are old and in such bad condition that buckets are placed inside to catch water from leaking roofs during the rainy season. This situation has made living here very difficult for the teachers,” he added.
He stated that the completion of the staff houses will enable teachers to live in a comfortable environment and motivate them to provide better educational services to learners in the community.
“This project had been stalled for so long. It is only now, through the increased CDF allocation, that we are finally seeing progress. For the first time, we are witnessing development of this quality for teachers in rural areas,” he asserted.
The headteacher also praised the government for the recently constructed Kapekesa Health Facility, noting that community members no longer have to travel long distances to access healthcare services.
And a teacher at the school, Esther Phiri explained that she currently commutes from Lundazi District due to lack of accommodation at Kapekesa Primary School.
“Travelling from one district to another is time-consuming and at times costly. I hope to finally live within the community once the staff houses are complete and focus more on delivering quality education to our learners,” she said.
Meanwhile, Chasefu Town Council Assistant Director Engineering Bright Mwila explained that the houses are set to include solar power installations and a water reticulation system.
He further revealed that two contractors were engaged, to enable more local contractors to benefit from CDF, adding that works are expected to be complete by the end of September 2025.
