Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
A 28-YEAR-OLD Gweru-born science teacher graduate stole the spotlight at Mkoba Teachers College’s 46th graduation ceremony after scooping the Best Innovator of the Year award for developing practical technologies ranging from gas leak detectors to smart white canes for the visually impaired.
Wilson Musemwa, who also graduated with three distinctions, emerged as one of the outstanding students during the ceremony held under the theme: “Heritage, a Lifetime of Empowerment: Transforming Lives through Education.”
The event, presided over by Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister Simelisizwe Sibanda, celebrated 679 graduates in Early Childhood Development (ECD), primary and secondary science education, while showcasing innovation-driven projects inspired by Education 5.0.
Musemwa’s remarkable blend of academic excellence and practical innovation drew loud cheers, ululations and applause as he walked to the podium to receive his diploma and two trophies.
During his four-year training at Mkoba Teachers College (MTC), the former Bumburwi Primary School and Budiriro B High School pupil developed a range of low-cost technologies designed to address real-life challenges in agriculture, safety and education.
His innovations include a simple soil moisture sensor for small-scale farmers, a smart home gas leak detector, a modern fire alarm system, a smart digital white cane for the visually impaired, an online remote-controlled crane shaft system and a fast solar drier for food preservation.
In an interview after the ceremony, Mr Musemwa credited his success to the Education 5.0 model championed by the Second Republic.
“The model pushes us to move from being job seekers to becoming job creators and innovators who can solve real problems in our communities,” he said.
MTC principal Dr Rosina Mavunga, while reading the award citation, said Musemwa had become a regular participant at national and provincial innovation expos because of the quality and relevance of his inventions.
“Education 5.0 is centred on the shift from producing job seekers to producing job creators. The model gives graduates an opportunity to create employment and Musemwa is a living example of that vision. His work shows what happens when theory is fused with practical innovation,” she said.
The ceremony reached an emotional high point when Dr Mavunga announced that Musemwa had been appointed deputy headmaster at Gangarabwe High School in Chiwundura, where he completed his teaching attachment.
The appointment, recommended jointly by the school administration, MTC and the ministry, forms part of a graduate-led consortium project aimed at establishing and running the school.
Musemwa said the appointment was both an honour and a responsibility.
“Going back to Chiwundura as deputy head is a chance to give back to a community that understands the pain of limited access to education. We want Gangarabwe High to be a centre of excellence where students not only learn but also see how innovation can change lives,” he said.
Musemwa said most of his inventions were designed with ordinary Zimbabweans in mind.
“Using gas is now common and we have seen deadly fires or explosions linked to leaking gas. Such an invention can be used by gas users across the country. What I am waiting for now is working on patents and mass production of my products,” he said.
Musemwa said his achievements would not have been possible without the innovation-driven environment at MTC.
“I would like to extend my gratitude to MTC, the principal, lecturers and the Government at large for creating an enabling environment that is producing innovators,” he said.
Musemwa’s immediate focus, he added, is to establish science and innovation clubs at Gangarabwe High School to nurture the next generation of inventors.
“If we can start early, give learners the tools and confidence to experiment, we will change the future of this province and this country,” he said.
Deputy Minister Sibanda commended tertiary institutions for embracing Education 5.0, saying graduates such as Musemwa are critical in driving innovation, entrepreneurship and industrial growth.
The graduation also highlighted the broader shift taking place in the country’s teacher training colleges, where the emphasis is moving beyond classroom pedagogy to include entrepreneurship, research and industrial linkages.
Dr Mavunga said the college is increasingly seeing students design products and systems that can be commercialised or adapted for community use.
“We are no longer training teachers to wait for jobs. We are training teachers to create jobs, to build schools, to invent solutions and to lead communities,” she said.
