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Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
Midlands State University has postponed the opening of a new campus in Zvishavane after the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE) delayed approving the project despite the institution meeting the pre-requisites.

ZIMCHE is a quality assurance agency established by an act of Parliament (Chapter 25:27), in 2006 to register and accredit institutions of higher learning.

Its mandate is to promote and co-ordinate education provided by institutions of higher education and to act as a regulator in the determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examinations, academic qualifications and research in institutions of higher education.

In an interview, MSU registrar, Mr Erasmus Mupfiga said the institution was looking forward to opening the campus this semester following the completion of renovations at the institution’s new premises in the asbestos mining town, which they were offered by Shabanie Mashava Mining Holdings (SMM) for its multi campus approach project.

He said MSU had completed renovating the infrastructure, which they were offered by SMM for their Zvishavane campus, which would accommodate about 5 000 students.

“We bought all the equipment required for the science departments as requested by ZIMCHE. However, ZIMCHE is yet to inspect and approve us to start operating at our Zvishavane campus.

“We have taken all the required procedures and we are now waiting for ZIMCHE. We had hoped to open the new campus this semester but we are likely to delay,” he said.

Mr Mpfiga said the new campus will open as soon as they get the green light from ZIMCHE.

“The campus will accommodate about 5 000 students and we will be able to provide on campus accommodation to about 200 students and the rest will have to seek temporary accommodation in local communities while we look for more accommodation for our students,” he said.

Mr Mupfiga said MSU had adopted the multi-campus approach so as to increase the institution’s visibility.

“The idea of opening a new campus is to bring the institution closer to different communities in and outside the province. Our multi campus approach seeks to increase the institution’s visibility,” he said.

MSU has an enrolment of approximately 23 000 students.