Gokomere High School
Gokomere High School is a boarding school sixteen km from Masvingo, Zimbabwe. It is one of Zimbabwe's most esteemed Catholic Boarding Schools with a competitive rigorous academic program. Entry into the school is very competitive and includes a written test and high test scores from a student's body of work in the lower grades. The school currently in 2016 produced Zimbabwe`s best Under 14 chess player Kudzai Mhandu and also they flourished a talent in writing that is the young author and poet Tapiwa Bengewa. Tafadzwa Mukonto an upper-six student last year in 2015 came out top with 25 Points followed by Tadiwa Mada 23 Points and Alvin with 23 points also. The O levels produced a nourishing 92.3%. Mr Stanley Mutsambiwa is the current Headmaster of the gigantic school.
Young Tapiwa Bengewa has been writing enthusiastic poems and articles under various newspapers e.g The Sunday Mail also the Southern Province local paper The Mirror. You can locate one of his articles on this site <www.sundaymail.co.zw/vincere-caritate/> . Kudzai Mhandu has been travelling around the world representing the nation. currently Mhandu is wearing a national green blazer (National Chess Champions Uniform). Rt.Rev Father Vincent Muzenda is the Priest in charge with Father Munhamo who replaced the intelligent Father Raphael Zindova who was transferred to Bondolfi Mission to be the Rector there, and Father Magama.
It was founded in July 1898 as a centre for vocational training and Sunday School. Secondary education started in 1910 under the captainship of the Jesuit Fathers. The brethren missionaries took over in 1940. One of the schools prestigious achievements is the Diocesan Choir title and the Diocesan Sports Title held at Mukaro Mission in 2016. They won the title 4 times. Tapiwa Zibwi has been one of the schools top rated talents alongside Tinashe Nyambirai who will wear Zibwi`s shoe after 2016 when his finishes his High School career.
Motto: “Vincere Caritate/ Conquer with love”
Boarders are the majority of students at Gokomere High School. Students are mainly from the provinces of Zimbabwe and a very small number from SADC countries. The school is the at heart of the Catholic Diocese of Masvingo so all religious meetings are done there.
The school aims to be a source of qualified 'O' Level students to other schools with 'A' Level facilities, and a source of qualified students for universities, vocational and technical colleges. It offers a College Preparatory program via its esteemed "A" Levels program. Students from Gokomere High School go on to become leaders in their chosen professions. Students from this school tend to have a great work ethic instilled in them via a vigorous academic and social program.
Training center
The center was established by Bishop Alois Haene, the then ordinary of Gweru Diocese. After Vatican Council 11, the Catholic Council church’s thrust on evangelization was focused on developing the local church. Hence, there was great need to promote lay participation in the life of the church. There were very few indigenous priests, religious brothers and sisters in the diocese. Bishop Alois Haene decided to open a training centre which would train lay leaders who were intended to be agents of change from the Catholic Church before Vatican Council 11 to a Post Vatican Council 11 where each local church would have its identity.
Fr. Xavier Ineichen was appointed by Bishop Haene as the first director of Gokomere training centre in 1970.
Gokomere Training Centre is a spiritual and social centre offering the following programmes: • Catechism • Lay leaders training • Executive Leadership Courses • Tailoring • Secretarial courses • Computers
The training center’s challenges include: • few students managing to pay the fees due to harsh economic conditions. • maintenance of computers, type-writers and photocopiers • unavailability of transport • self-reliance projects have been affected by drought and input shortages.