The People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB) proudly joined the nation in celebrating excellence in school cleanliness and sustainable waste management at the 2025 Clean Schools Competition National Awards Ceremony, held on Thursday, 27 November 2025, at John Tallach High School in Umguza District, Matabeleland North Province.
POSB, a new and committed sponsor of the Clean Schools Competition, is honoured to work alongside the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and Eversharp in advancing a national cause that is shaping responsible, innovative and entrepreneurial young Zimbabweans.
POSB: Investing Where Zimbabwe’s Future Lives
POSB’s support for this competition flows from the Bank’s development mandate and firm belief that schools are where the future of Zimbabwe is built. By partnering in the Clean Schools Competition, POSB is strengthening learning environments while promoting a clean, safe and healthy nation.
Delivering a speech on behalf of the POSB Chief Executive Officer, Mr David Makacha, POSB Public Relations Manager, said the Bank deliberately chose to support schools and their initiatives because they are the seedbed of the nation’s future. He noted that POSB continues to roll out programmes aimed at strengthening learning and improving learner welfare, and that the Bank was compelled to support the Clean Schools Competition after seeing its strong alignment with POSB’s sustainability values.
“Protecting the environment is simply the right thing to do. All life depends on a healthy environment,” Mr Makacha said.
Cleanliness as a Lifestyle: First Lady Applauds POSB-Supported Champions
The Environment Patron, Her Excellency the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, praised schools across Zimbabwe for embracing cleanliness not as an occasional activity, but as a lifestyle and a practical pathway into the zero-waste and circular economy agenda.
She underscored the importance of embedding environmental responsibility into daily school life and commended learners for leading projects that transform waste into valuable products, skills and income. The First Lady also reaffirmed the competition’s connection to the National Clean-Up Programme launched in 2018 by His Excellency President Dr Emmerson D. Mnangagwa, noting that schools are now among the nation’s most consistent drivers of that vision.
2025 National Winners: POSB Celebrates the Top Performers
POSB congratulates this year’s national winners, whose excellence demonstrates that environmental stewardship can be creative, practical and empowering.
Secondary Schools Category
-
John Tallach High School – National Winner (1st Prize), USD1,350
-
Mutendi High School – 2nd Prize, USD1,100
-
Plumtree High School – 3rd Prize, USD850
Primary Schools Category
-
Louis Mountbatten Primary School – National Winner (1st Prize), USD1,350
-
Hurungwe Primary School – 2nd Prize, USD1,100
- Senondo Primary School- 3rd Pruze, USD850
These schools represent the best of Zimbabwe’s growing network of learner-led eco-champions, and POSB is proud to support a platform enabling their success.
John Tallach High School: A Model of POSB-Backed Environmental Enterprise
As the overall national winner in the secondary schools category, John Tallach High School impressed adjudicators with strong leadership in zero-waste practice and environmental entrepreneurship. During the ceremony, Dr Mnangagwa toured a wide range of projects, including waste separation, recycling and creative reuse; horticulture and water harvesting; poultry and rabbit production; detergent-making; sewing and craftwork; and recycled artefacts produced under the “Turn Waste into Money” initiative.
Learners also showcased an environmental magazine they produced, alongside farm produce sold during the exhibition. Dr Mnangagwa applauded the learners for personally driving these initiatives and encouraged them to apply these skills in their communities and future careers. To reinforce environmental conservation, she planted a Mukashu tree (Rauvolfia caffra) at the school and encouraged communities to plant more trees during the rainy season.
POSB’s Wider Sustainability Drive for Schools
In his address, Mr Makacha highlighted POSB’s broader commitment to green and inclusive development. He pointed to the Bank’s practical investment in renewable energy and digital inclusion, including the unveiling in October 2025 of a USD 8.7 million Solar and Starlink Schools Funding Facility aimed at powering schools with solar energy and installing Starlink connectivity in order to reduce energy and digital gaps between urban and rural schools.
Mr Makacha also noted that POSB has installed solar power at all its service centres, demonstrating the Bank’s hands-on commitment to sustainable energy and environmental responsibility. He encouraged schools and institutions seeking solar solutions to visit any POSB service centre for support.
Bigger Participation, Bigger National Impact
The 2025 edition saw over 2,900 schools participating, a major increase from 1,041 in 2024. POSB celebrates this growth as proof that environmental stewardship is becoming part of school culture across Zimbabwe. EMA Director-General Dr Aaron Chigona noted visible transformation nationwide, with schools now characterised by clean, labelled waste separation points, well-kept grounds, vibrant environmental clubs and consistent clean-up and recycling initiatives.
A Proud POSB Partnership for the Future
The Clean Schools Competition is more than a contest. It is a national agenda inspiring young Zimbabweans to become eco-leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs. POSB is proud to sponsor a programme that is producing environmental heroes in classrooms, schoolyards and communities across the country.
POSB remains committed to walking this journey with EMA, schools, communities and all partners — building a cleaner, greener and more prosperous Zimbabwe, one school at a time.
