Investigating the Contribution of the Gwanda Community Share Ownership Trust to Educational Development in Gwanda District of Matabeleland South Region in Zimbabwe

The study primarily sought to assess the contribution of the Gwanda Community Share Ownership Trust to educational development in Gwanda District in Matabeleland South Province. The Community Share Ownership Trusts (CSOTs)were introduced by the Government of Zimbabwe through the Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act Chapter 14:33 and the Statutory Instrument 21 of 2010 that provided for the establishment of Community Share Ownership Trusts to empower the poor indigenous Zimbabweans living close to the mines but have been deprived of the right to directly and indirectly benefit from the mineral resources. The mandate of the CSOT was to secure shareholding participation by the local communities in foreign owned mines exploiting the local communities’ mineral resources and for the communities to use the proceeds from the shares to fund projects such as educational development in order to facilitate their social, economic and general improvement of their livelihood. The study preferred the qualitative method for collecting in-depth data through interviews, observations and document analysis. The study revealed a tremendous socio-economic development that directly and indirectly contributed to the educational development for the Gwanda rural indigenous communities within a very short period. These direct and indirect contributions to educational development included the provision of educational facilities such as additional classrooms, furniture and five ‘A’ Level Science laboratories, health care facilities, clean bore hole water and rehabilitation of irrigation schemes that have enhanced the educational development of the local communities. The study recommended that the Community Share Ownership Trust be adopted as a model for the provision of educational projects in those areas that are endowed with natural resources in Zimbabwe. The study also recommended that the GCSOT assist the Ministry of Education in sourcing science teachers by providing some incentives to lure adequately qualified science teachers to come and teach science in these laboratories. The study further recommended that the GCSOT establish fund raising strategies to sustain the GCSOT against the possibility of the seed money drying up.