Gokwe offers Catholic University land

GOKWE Town Council has resolved to allocate the Catholic University of Zimbabwe (CUZ) land for the construction of a new campus.

Gokwe Town secretary Ms Melania Mandeya confirmed the development, saying engineers were on the ground looking for the most suitable land after all the procedures were done.

“We have made a resolution as council to offer Catholic University land so that they can construct their Gokwe campus,” she said.

“As we speak, a team of experts is on the ground doing their surveying and physical planning on the piece of land.”

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,” she said.

“We support development and this is the infrastructure that we are talking about as we eye municipal status by 2025.”

Ms Mandeya could not be drawn into revealing the size of the land, saying it would be determined by availability.

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

“Our youths now have an opportunity of identifying themselves,” said Ms Mandeya.

“They are now accorded the chance to get tertiary education. Not only that, but poverty would be alleviated as the construction of the university will create employment for the youths.”

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 from the people in Gokwe is overwhelming,” he said.

He said the university was conducting lessons at the 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 awaiting the handover of the land, but currently lectures are underway at Shingai,” he said.

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

“We have decided to introduce block 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.