Gokwe Town Council avails land for Catholic University campus

GOKWE Town Council has given a piece of land to the Catholic University of Zimbabwe (CUZ) for the construction of a campus.

Gokwe Town Secretary Ms Melania Mandeya confirmed the development saying engineers were on the ground after having gone through all due council procedure.

“We have made a resolution as council to offer Catholic University land so that they can construct their Gokwe campus. As we speak, a team of experts is on the ground doing their surveying and physical planning for the piece of land,” she said.

Ms Mandeya said the institution was welcome as it would become the second tertiary institution in Gokwe after Gokwe Vocational Training Centre.

“Surely we could not resist the temptation of having another tertiary institution in Gokwe. We support development and this is the infrastructure that we are talking about as we eye municipal status by 2025,” she said.

She, however, could not be drawn into revealing the size of the land.

Ms Mandeya said the move would benefit Gokwe in more than one way.

“Our youths now have an opportunity of identifying themselves. They are now accorded the chance to go through tertiary education. Not only that but poverty would be alleviated as the construction of the university will create employment for the youths,” said Ms Mandeya.

Catholic Diocese of Gokwe Archbishop, Right Reverend Rudolph Nyandoro who is in charge of the Gokwe Campus said classes were already underway.

“We have around 80 students who have already enrolled with our institution here, the response is overwhelming from the Gokwe people,” he said.

Rt Rev Nyandoro said the university was conducting lessons at Shingai Vocational Training Centre as they await council to avail the piece of land for the construction of the campus.

“We are really grateful to Gokwe for welcoming us and we are waiting for the land but currently lectures are underway at Shingai,” he said.

Gokwe people, Rt Rev Nyandoro said, deserved to get what other people were getting hence the idea to construct a campus in the area adding the university has introduced blocks and night lessons.

“We have decided to introduce blocks and night lessons first because most people are employed but they want to further their education,” he said.

The university has four other campuses in Harare, Bulawayo, Chinhoyi and Mutare making the Gokwe campus the fifth.