Kwekwe Poly to end residence blues

Michael Magoronga
Kwekwe Polytechnic College principal Engineer Callisto Muzongondi on Friday held an accommodation consultative meeting with homeowners and parents in the face of serious accommodation challenges plaguing the tertiary institution.

The engagement was meant to encourage homeowners to create a conducive environment for students who might have failed to secure accommodation on campus.

There are also plans to create a database of homeowners that are willing to assist students.

“Kwekwe Poly has acute hostel accommodation shortages. More than 75 percent of the population are staying off-campus as tenants in various suburbs around Kwekwe,” said Eng Muzongondi.

With an enrolment of 3 500, the institution can only accommodate 240 students on campus, leaving the rest to seek alternative accommodation from neighbouring suburbs like Msasa, Mbizo and Newtown.

It is feared that the projected 10 percent increase in enrolment during the May intake will only worsen the situation.

According to Eng Muzongondi, conditions that are obtaining in some rented accommodation are not conducive for decent living and learning.

“Landlords have had their fair share of problems from lodging students. It is against this backdrop that we are holding this meeting to share ideas and expectations in our quest to chart an off-campus students’ accommodation management roadmap, which would be mutually beneficial to all stakeholders,” he said.

He invited interested private developers to consider private-public partnerships (PPPs) to solve the problem.

“We are saying if there are private players who are interested in the PPP agreement, let them come forward and we listen to their proposal and we may engage, in consultation with the Ministry (of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology) of course, them for the construction of more hostels at the campus,” he said.

Eng Muzongondi also urged homeowners not to exploit the students by charging exorbitant rentals and also to report any cases of indiscipline to college authorities.

Homeowners agreed that a database be created and a leadership also be elected into place to represent them.

In addition to raising issues of students’ indiscipline, the homeowners also hailed the college administration led by Eng Muzongondi for engaging them.

Eng Muzongondi became principal of the college following the retirement of Mr Joice Mbudzi last year.