Dear Old Miltonians and Friends Of Milton High School Bulawayo

I visited my former school Milton High in Bulawayo in August of 2014. I met one of my former teacher Mrs Muleya who is still at the school. She was busy handing out exam results slips so we had a brief chat and the she asked me why we had neglected the school. I was yet to see for myself exactly what she meant when she asked me that question.

The school was in a terrible and shocking state and I took as many pictures as I could so that I can share the story of my former school. I started with the sixth form block. The toilet downstairs was clearly no longer in use. There was a large rock inside the chamber. It resembled a public toilet such as those that you find at busy long distance bus termini. My A Level physics lab downstairs was locked but the one upstairs had been turned into a computer room so that too was locked. 

The lockers downstairs were all vandalised. The walls clearly needed repainting. I walked into the chemistry lab where I had done titration practicals. The ceramic sinks were gone, the gas pipes gone, the water taps also gone. The tiles were also missing in places. It looked nothing like a chemistry lab. There were obscenities written on the sliding boards. The glass wall cabinets which had been storage for chemicals were either broken or missing together with their chemicals. I didn't bother checking upstairs. I suspected the same or worse. 

I went past the tennis courts on my way to the fields. I could not imagine anyone playing tennis, football, rugby or cricket on any of them. The green had been replaced with the dry grass and bare earth. 

I turned my attention to the swimming pool. Shocking shocking shocking. It was not secured at the entrance. The pool was empty. There was an accumulation of soil, plastics, bricks, standing water infested with mosquito larvae. Missing tiles. The changing rooms had become a dumping ground for rubbish. Part of the roof was completely missing. The toilets no longer usable. 

I then proceeded to the rest of the classrooms. It was a similar story of broken windows, potholed floors, graffiti on the walls, broken furniture and missing door locks. Only the woodwork and metalwork workshops were securely locked. 

Speaking to friends who have gone to different schools, this scenario of disrepair and neglect is not unique to Milton High School. There are however some success stories where former students have kept in touch with their former schools and helped maintain standards despite the harsh economic conditions across the country. 

I'm appealing to Old Miltonians and Friends Of Milton to come together and rescue The Mighty Elephant. I have been brainstorming and I now have a plan which I will soon share. Thank you. 

Dereck Tafuma (Old Miltonian)

Quit Ye Like Men

Be Strong