‘Prof Makhurane a man of purpose’
drawing applause and ululation.
Acting Gwanda Vice Chancellor, Dr Sikhulumani Bayeza Mangena, described Prof Makhurane as a great man who had produced among scores of students, four Vice Chancellors. “At Nust he served very well, I have not heard somebody who produced more than four academics to lead universities, I will mention a few, the Vice chancellor of Bindura, Prof Eddie Mwenje is his product, the Vice chancellor of Lupane State University Prof Pardon Kuipa and vice chancellor of Harare Institute of Technology (Hit) engineer Quinton Kanhukamwe and the late Dr McLean Mackson Bhala who was acting vice chancellor of Lupane State University,” said Dr Mangena.
“If you are able to show the light to produce vice chancellors what more would you expect. Furthermore, he did not tire from Nust, he said he thinks that there should be a university in Gwanda of course he hails from Gwanda and he started the leadership of structuring a university in Gwanda”.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Minister, Prof Amon Murwira in a speech read on his behalf by Director in the Ministry Mrs Rungano Karimanzira said the country had lost a dedicated academic.
“The loss of such a dedicated academic like Prof Makhurane has come at a time when the transformation of higher education premised on our heritage was beginning to take shape. Surely, the Ministry would have benefited from contributions from such an eminent person like
Prof Makhurane particularly in shaping the national transformation agenda towards the attainment of a modernised middle-income economy by 2030,” said Prof Murwira.
He said it was through Prof Makhurane’s extraordinary appeal that thousands of students and academics were beneficiaries of his guidance at various universities and research institutions in Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
“Thus, our tribute to Prof Makhurane as an educationist is very central to the attainment of the national development agenda”.
Nust Vice chancellor, Professor Mqhele Dlodlo, described the late hero as a great man and champion who was not deterred by challenges in setting up Nust. “We are here to celebrate the life of a great man, a brother a father and uncle, grandfather and a man who meant something to everyone that ever encountered him,” said Prof Dlodlo.
“Nust celebrates countless achievements of its visionary founder, Professor Makhurane. He was mandated to come into Bulawayo with nothing but an idea of a university of science and technology .He had no budget to speak of and was accompanied by a skeletal staff seconded from the Ministry of Higher Education. He had to think and lead”.
He said Prof Makhurane had to rely on rented rooms and premises across the city and had to invest a sizeable portion of a shoe string budget in transport as they had no campus.
He said succeeding Vice chancellors tend to be challenged to drive for the achievement of his dream.
“Anyone interested in the challenges he went through must read Chapter nine of his autobiography,” said Prof Dlodlo. — @AuxiliaK