TRYMORE TAGWIREI
MIRROR REPORTER

MASVINGO-Shakashe Primary School headmaster Alexander Mashenjere is set to retire on December 31, 2023, after serving the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for 37 years.
He told The Mirror in an exclusive interview that he is retiring to pursue other interests.
“I am retiring from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on December 31, 2023, to pursue other interests. I served the Ministry in various capacities at several schools for 37 years. It is high time to rest,” he said.
Mashenjere said he looks back at his tenure at Shakashe with pride having produced some of the best Grade 7 results for any day school in the province.
Shakashe has produced the best results out of all six council run schools. The school received 100 Grade 7 mathematics from Masvingo City Council recently for topping the 2021 examinations.
Last year the school recorded a 92.69% pass rate with 219 candidates. Some 32 students scored between seven and 10 units. Five students had 7 units.
The school with an enrollment of over 1 000 pupils was the best in 2011 with a 100% pass rate ahead of all other schools in the province. It also had 17 candidates scoring four units. Shakashe also scored a 95% pass rate with 18 candidates’ four units.
Mashenjere also said that he takes pride in having initiated and completed several projects at the school as the construction of five classroom blocks, a state of the art computer laboratory, installing of a solar system supporting the whole school and erecting a perimeter wall at the school.
“I cannot say that I have it all but I believe I have left a positive reputation and impact at the school,” he said with a smile.
He was born on December 4, 1963, in Masvingo and attended Matsikidze Primary School. He then proceeded to Jichidza High in Zaka for his Ordinary level studies in 1978.
Mashenjere enrolled at Masvingo Teachers College in 1983 and graduated with a Diploma in Education.
He joined the Ministry of Education in May 1986. His first deployment was at Vusira Primary School. He was then transferred to Mazanhi Primary in 1992.
Mashenjere enrolled for a Degree in Education with the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) in 1997.
He was transferred from Mazanhi to Chitakayi Primary in 2001 after serving nine years at the school. He was appointed substantive deputy headmaster before transferring to Murabwi Primary in Masvingo rural the next year.
The educationist served at Murabwi for four years before moving to Urombo Primary 2005. He served as the council run school deputy headmaster until 2011 when he was transferred to head Shakashe.