By Flata Kavinga
Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube has donated groceries, blankets, buckets, pots and other household items valued at more than US$2 000 to 56 students at Kwekwe Polytechnic who were affected by a fire incident at GTS boarding house on 24 May 2026.
The fire, which gutted the students’ accommodation facility, resulted in 31 female students losing their personal belongings, including identity documents and national certificates, while other students managed to salvage some of their property.
Speaking during the handover of the donation at Kwekwe Polytechnic, Minister Ncube said he decided to assist the affected students after learning about their plight.
“As your minister in Midlands province, we saw it fit to come to this tertiary institution to make some personal donations to the students because we work with the students at this institution,” said Ncube.
He commended the City of Kwekwe Fire Brigade for responding quickly to the incident, saying their swift action helped contain the situation.
Ncube said his office would continue looking for additional resources to support the affected students.
“We are very sorry to our students and their parents. However, we are complimenting what the church has done to the students and what the college is also trying to assist with,” he said.
The donated items included blankets, toiletries, mealie-meal, cooking oil, porridge, buckets, towels and cooking pots, among other essentials.
A student representative at Kwekwe Polytechnic, Viola Ramunyenyewa, welcomed the donation, saying it would go a long way in assisting students who lost their belongings.
“We are happy to receive this generous donation. We also request that you assist us to obtain new identity documents and national certificates that were destroyed in the fire,” said Ramunyenyewa.
The students affected by the fire are also receiving support from the institution and other stakeholders as efforts continue to help them recover from the loss.
