Chronicle Editor
Tongai Dana, Correspondent
COLONIAL education systems proved inadequate and inappropriate for the economic and social development of the post-colonial state hence not appropriate when it comes to meeting the needs of Africans and indeed of Zimbabweans.
In a bid to decolonise education for a system under which African countries can use local resources, indigenous knowledge and heritage to meet local needs and solve local problems at the same time contributing to global development, African governments have made efforts to reform education systems.
One outstanding example was that of Nyerere’s Education for Self-Reliance philosophy which would aid both individual and economic growth in Tanzania. A peculiar form of education geared towards transmitting from one generation to the next the accumulated wisdom and knowledge of the society (heritage) and prepare the young people for their future membership of the society and their active participation in its maintenance or development (sustainability) and aligned with the socio-economic need of the country.
Many other African countries also implemented a number of reforms to that effect. In Zimbabwe, a number of reforms were made to ensure universal access to quality education and inclusive education. A number of new universities were constructed such that as at 2013, Zimbabwe boasted of having over a dozen state universities, a good number of polytechnics and vocational training centres and colleges.
The country also has a sizeable number of private owned universities and colleges. However, these achievements did not pay much dividends in terms of bringing self-reliance to the country as the country continued to import most of what the country could produce locally.
The country had many graduates who would struggle for opportunities to be innovative with their attained knowledge and skills for the country’s industrialisation and economic development. This dream seemed a dreamt dream that never became a reality but an ideal that is seldom lived.
Fortunately, the coming of the Second Republic under the able leadership of President Mnangangwa has seen what seemed impossible becoming a possibility by ensuring that the education system produces practical goods and services.
Through the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development (MHTESTD) currently presided by Minister Professor Amon Murwira, Zimbabwe has championed the implementation of the Education 5.0 philosophy which brings in the aspect of industrialisation, technology and innovation to the country’s education system.
Education 5.0 emphasises the rejuvenation of the science and technology sector to meet innovation and industrialisation demands through teaching and research methods that expose learners to creative thinking to nurture and enhance the much required creative and innovative abilities within their distinctive fields of study hence produce critical and innovative graduates for industrialisation.
Under the Education 5.0 model, Zimbabwe has made miraculous achievements that have reduced the country’s import budget through reducing imports and increased the country’s foreign currency earnings by increasing the country’s exports, a reason to smile when the Second Republic is mentioned.
Under the able leadership of Dr Mnangagwa through Prof Murwira, Zimbabwe now imports less and exports much.
Most of what Zimbabwe used to import is now being produced locally at state universities, polytechnics and other training institutions run by Government Ministries and coordinated by the MHTESTD.
A number of policy reforms were formulated and adopted. Investments in infrastructural development projects to allow effective research for generation of new knowledge to enable the hatching and nurturing of innovative and industrial life changing ideas and inventions were made. It is on this basis that when Zimbabweans count their blessings, they should count President Mnangagwa’s Second Republic twice.
In Manicaland Province, the Second Republic through the MHTESTD, constructed and equipped, operationalised an Agro-Industrial Park at Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences and a Baobab Juice beneficiation plant at the Mutare Teachers College.
These two projects have a serious employment creation impact on the students, lecturers and local communities in Manicaland as they enjoy direct employment and associated indigenous fruit and agricultural value chains.
The Agro-Industrial Park project will increase agricultural production through the utilisation of smart agricultural technology, precision agriculture and value addition as well as beneficiation of agricultural produce.
As it stands, a total of 265 hectares have been put under tobacco and centre pivots were procured and installed at the Industrial Park. The Baobab Juice beneficiation plant will see the dream of value addition and beneficiation of locally available indigenous fruits being realised.
A high-tech industrial plant for the production of juices from locally available fruits such as baobab is currently being installed at the plant. Indeed, direct employment has been created and associated value chains have further created additional downstream jobs, for example, transporters and fuel contractors have been engaged and baobab fruit out-grower collection schemes are in the pipeline.
For Mashonaland Central and East provinces, the Second Republic through the MHTESTD has developed the Masawu Agro-Industrial Park at Bindura University of Science Education. The project will see an increase of masawu harvesting and production through the utilisation of value addition and beneficiation technologies.
The value addition and beneficiation of masawu produce shall be undertaken to improve productivity and create employment in the provinces. Drawing from the Heritage Based Education under which a country uses local resources to meet local demands, the project will see the value addition and beneficiation of local agricultural produce to produce cereals, grain bran, livestock and wildlife feed-stock. What a blessing for Zimbabwe.
The MHTESTD, through the University of Zimbabwe implemented four Agro-Industrial Park Start Ups in Mashonaland Central which the local people can immensely benefit from.
In Masvingo Province, the Second Republic through the MHTESTD constructed the Chivi Dry Land Agriculture Research Centre and the Chivi Dry Land Agriculture Research Centre Agro Industrial Park. These two projects have a serious development impact on the local communities of Masvingo as it proffers the promotion of nurturing traditional grains and promotes research into traditional grains that have been ignored for too long predating pre-independence yet traditional grains are a part of Zimbabwean heritage, more climate smart and can be used to produce cereals, edible oils and even edible beverages which all increase household incomes.
Zimbabweans and indeed the people of Masvingo will enjoy direct employment and associated indigenous fruit and agricultural value chains from these projects.
The Second Republic also boasts of implementing the Reverse Engineering of New Mapfura Pulpers project for Mwenezi Plant which was done by the Masvingo Polytechnic.
In the Midlands Province, the Second Republic through the MHTESTD implemented the Modified Coal Tar Project by Midlands State University in Zvishavane. The province is enjoying direct employment and associated indirect jobs created from the project’s associated value chains.
Nationally, this project’s coal tar surfacing product will reduce the road surfacing cost while also improving the quality of road construction in Zimbabwe. It will meet the needs of local and regional road construction industry and in the process become an import substitution solution to the economy that currently incurs import bills on bitumen which is imported from South Africa.
The Second Republic is at the advanced stages of the construction of the PITSCOTTE Livestock and Wildlife Conservancy by the Midlands State University. The conservancy project will see the improvement of eco-tourism, livestock breeds and wildlife conservatory in the Midlands.
An Industrial Park was also established at MSU and it houses the university’s clothing and textile enterprise, and chemical manufacturing plant. The park has created employment and associated value chains for local communities.
In Matabeleland South Province, the Second Republic through the MHTESTD has implemented a number of projects ranging from infrastructural development in existing educational institutions and establishments of new human development and training centres.
The Second Republic established the Plumtree Industrial Training College in Plumtree Town which will introduce training in various industrial technical and vocational education and training trades for the surrounding communities. This project is very key as the Plumtree community had no training and vocational education institution since independence.
The Second Republic has also constructed and equipped a Mining Laboratory and Innovation Complex at Gwanda State University. This project will facilitate mining innovation and engineering in the province and the country at large through targeted analysis of ore or mining, beneficiation and subsequent resource exploration which shall greatly assist both artisanal miners as well as established mining firms in surrounding communities.
In Matebeleland North Province, the Second Republic established a Dryland Agro-Innovation Park at Lupane State University. The project will spur innovation in semi-arid agriculture, wildlife management, forestry and rural development while also propping knowledge and technology driven industries for the benefit of the province and Zimbabweans in general.
The Dryland Agro-Innovation and Industrialisation Park is a timely investment by the Second Republic to solve agriculture related challenges in the country’s arid regions. The investment will see the improvement of the economic fortunes of the people in Matabeleland who will now have to move away from subsistence to agro-entreprenuership producing for not only national markets but internationally.
Two new higher education institutions, Binga Industrial Training College and Hwange Teachers College have also been established. Binga Industrial Training College offers training in various industrial technical and vocational education including tourism and hospitality trades which is very important for Binga, a naturally rich and scenic region yet it stands under-developed.
This bears testimony to the fact that President Mnangagwa is out to never leave no place behind.
In the metropolitan provinces of Harare and Bulawayo, the Second Republic has invested in Innovation Hubs and Industrial Parks as vehicles for technology assimilation, adaptation, customisation and diffusion in the Zimbabwean society primarily for the benefit of industry, commerce and the communities.
In Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, an Innovation Hub was constructed at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). In Harare, a Science Park was established at the Harare Institute of Technology University to develop, incubate, transfer and commercialise technology for rapid national industrialisation.
It has promoted and encouraged active collaboration between the private and public-sector technology development initiatives, attracting international technology focused companies and research organisations to locate their operations to Zimbabwe hence stimulating job creation through enterprise creation and fostering Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
In Mashonaland West, the Second Republic through the MHTESTD has invested in the establishment of an Innovation Hub at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT). The Hub has facilitated the transfer of technologies and products of basic knowledge and applied research generated at CUT into commercially viable products through working with university researchers and industry for viable commercialisation.
The above achievements are just for the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development. What of all the other government ministries.
At this pace, becoming an upper middle-income economy is possible before 2030.
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