Zimpapers Logo

Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland Bureau
The Government is committed to providing adequate resources for Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences and will consider public-private partnerships to raise more funds for quality infrastructure, Vice President Kembo Mohadi said yesterday.

The university is constructing a health services centre and a lecture room block comprising three lecture rooms, a laboratory, six offices and ablution facilities.

The lecture room block is expected to decongest the existing infrastructure, while offering a standard teaching and learning environment.

Vice President Mohadi said the Government would have wanted see more work being done at the university, but three successive droughts that were compounded by the Cyclone Idai and the Covid-19 pandemic delayed progress.

“Some of the resources that were meant to have come this direction were redirected towards the sourcing of food for the people and to fight the pandemic and alleviate the plight that the Cyclone Idai disaster induced on our people.

“We are venturing into public-private partnerships for our institutions of higher learning. There are investors that are willing to assist us in putting up infrastructure. For instance, we recently got assistance from China for the construction of the Defence University which we have finished.

“I assure you that as Government, we will do everything possible to avail resources to ensure the full operationalisation of the medical centre you have constructed through your artisans.”

VP Mohadi said universities should be agents for development through carrying out cutting edge research and spearheading beneficiation and value addition of resources in the communities they serve.

The new dispensation’s thrust to use local talent to construct facilities was bearing fruit.

“Quality structures are being completed faster and at a cheaper price, while at the same time apprentices are being trained in construction on the job.

“All these endeavours from the Government are part of education 5.0 which seeks to foster innovation for industrialisation and sustainable economic development.”

The construction of state-of-the-art facilities at the university is being done in line with Government’s 100-day target based programme to expedite project implementation and propel the attainment of Vision 2030.

The programme is part of the Government’s efforts to expedite infrastructure development project implementation for the attainment of an upper middle income economy by 2030.

Besides the health service centre and lecture room block, MSUAS is expecting to begin the construction of double storey student and staff halls residence as well as a client-service block which will be a one stop shop for all stakeholders.

Minister of State for Manicaland Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba said the enhancement of the quality of education through the use of local talent was important.

“The health services facility and the brilliant workmanship being exhibited here is being done in partnership with the local community thus enhancing the education 5.0 which is utility based and based on tangible things and not just theory. It is amazing the amount of work that has been done in a short space of time,” she said.