Manicaland State varsity gets land
THE Government has finally allocated land to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology Development for the establishment of Manicaland State University.
This will result in the massive transformation of Headlands where it will be situated. The state-of-the-art institution was first mooted in 2006 as Manicaland State University of Agriculture and Engineering but failed to take off after its land was allocated to other people.
Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister, Cde Monica Mutsvangwa, on Monday handed over the three farms, Springs, Wakefield B and Howick all measuring more than 9 000 hectares, to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Development Professor Amon Murwira.
Part of Wakefield B is currently occupied by former Zanu PF Youth League Secretary, Mr Kudzanai Chipanga, who was allocated the farm two years ago.
In interview on the sidelines of the handing over ceremony, Professor Murwira said the university will be the first of its kind in the country.
He said it will incorporate components of a world class university such as teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation.
Prof Mavhima said the institution shall have industrial, agricultural, energy and residential parks.
“In the past we were failing to get in due to problems that were there but finally we are in. In the meantime we are busy doing the master plan for Manicaland State University and this plan includes these three farms.
“We have been looking for money since December and we have big prospects of getting the money to kick start the construction. We want to make it one of our visionary university towns. Normally universities have always had this mandate of teaching, research and community service which we call University Three Point All.
“However this one shall be a University Five Point All as it shall include innovation and industrialisation. It will be an enterprise university and one of the first universities that are going to operate on equity where people are going to invest into this university and yet it is a state university. This is a 21st Century university where enterprise is going to be upheld. Enterprise is going to be the hall mark of this institution,” he said.
“People would come out and invest into this university because of the idea we have. We have always been talking about universities that are heritage based and the heritage we have here in Manicaland is of forestry, agriculture and mineral resources.”
Cde Mutsvangwa said the province is relieved to be having its own State university as it is the only one in the country that does not have one.
“A State university is one of the key institutions that was lacking in this province and we are glad that finally we are going to have one here. We want to make sure that the university get operational very soon. Students from Manicaland are travelling to other provinces seeking tertiary education a situation which is not good at all. We are just implementing a resolution that was made years back and the money is there to construct this university,” she said.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa said he together with Mr Didymus Mutasa and Dr Joseph Made mooted the idea of the university in 2005.
They got the land in 2006 and unfortunately some of the land was parcelled out to some individuals. He added that the funds for the construction of the university were available.
“We are not grabbing this farm from anyone but this farm was now being taken away from the university. We are mobilising as the Ministry of Finance to construct this university. The money is there for this university. We are also constructing Causeway Dam which will supply water to this university,” said Cde Chinamasa.