Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
HIGHER and tertiary education institutions have been urged to prioritise livestock management in their curricula to align with Zimbabwe’s rural industrialisation drive.
Speaking at a handover ceremony for pigs donated to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic’s piggery project on Tuesday, Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, stressed the importance of education in driving production and economic empowerment.
She highlighted the need for schools and colleges to diversify from traditional crop production to include small livestock projects such as piggery and poultry.
The pigs were donated by the Zimbabwe Foundation for Education with Production (Zimfep).
“Our schools used to run horticulture projects and through intervention from the Government, we have seen a shift where small livestock projects have been introduced in schools such as poultry and piggery,” said Dr Ndlovu.
“We want all learning institutions to have viable livestock projects. Learners should be empowered on how to look after these animals to value-add so that they can realise the full potential of this wealth.”
Dr Ndlovu urged the polytechnic to expand the piggery project into a centre of excellence that could train local farmers in managing similar ventures. Plans are also underway to equip the institution with dairy cows to further enhance its agricultural capacity.
Dr Ndlovu reiterated that agriculture remains the backbone of Matabeleland South Province’s economy, making it a key driver for achieving Vision 2030.
“For us to attain rural industrialisation, we have to start from the village level going up. One of the ways to achieve this is through capacitating and sharing knowledge with our communities and learning institutions have a huge role to play in this regard,” she said.
Zimfep has supported similar initiatives in over 450 schools.
Zimfep’s director for coordination, Mr Gideon Chiukira, said it is important to combine academic knowledge with practical skills to foster entrepreneurship.
“As the Zimbabwe Foundation for Education with Production, we advocate for an educational approach that transcends the confines of the classroom. It should be a dynamic fusion of practical skills and academic knowledge,” he said.
“We must recalibrate our focus from merely preparing students for employment to nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset.
Entrepreneurship extends beyond the mere initiation of a business, it embodies innovation, resilience and to capacity to seize opportunities.”
Mr Chiukira also noted that involving students in productive projects could help combat drug and substance abuse in schools.
He called for collaboration between educators, parents, and policymakers to create an environment that supports young entrepreneurs.
The polytechnic’s acting principal, Mr Gin Ngwenya, said the piggery project aligns with the institution’s vision to become an industrial hub. “This is a major boost for us as an institution as it marks the start of a piggery project, which we didn’t have.
“It’s our desire for every department of ours to have a production unit and we will ensure that we don’t only multiply these pigs, but also value-add so that we produce graduates that are adequately equipped and ready for the market,” he said.–@DubeMatutu
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