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The Herald, 8 March 1980
THE University of Rhodesia is to become the University of Zimbabwe as soon as the name of the country “officially and legally” becomes Zimbabwe.
This was decided at a meeting of the executive committee of the University Council on March 3.
The committee, on behalf of the council, adopted a special resolution which amends the university statutes in respect of the title. The statutes now provide for the title of the university, to conform to that of the country.
On March 10, The Herald also reported that Professor Walter Kamba (48) would be “the second vice principal” of the university, and was expected to take up his position in May 1980.
Prof Kamba, who was part of the legal team for the Patriotic Front during the Lancaster House Conference, was the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Dundee, Scotland.
In another story titled, “Students to probe national service rules”, The Herald of March 11 reported: The Student Representative Council at the University of Rhodesia is investigating the possibility of male students being allowed to attend the university before doing phase one of their national service training.
In a statement yesterday, the acting vice president of the SRC, Godfrey Mudimu said: “The University has sent letters of acceptance to those (prospective male students) who have applied.
“However, as the new Government has not been sworn in yet, there is to be some time lapse. This calls for cooperation and patience. More than anything else, prospective students should note that the incoming Government has more urgent priorities for the country as a whole.”
A senior spokesman for the Department of Security Manpower in Salisbury said yesterday the present policy, which requires all men between the ages 18 and 25 to complete phase one national service before attending universities, still applies. Whether this policy would be changed or not, depended on the new Government.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
As the country’s first major higher and tertiary institutions, the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) had already undergone a number of transitions since its formation in 1952 to when it changed names in 1980.
At its inception, it was the University College Rhodesia and Nyasaland (because of the Federation) and was associated with the University of London. All this changed when the university embarked on programmes of localising higher and tertiary education. It has been a process, not an event.
In 1981, Prof Walter Kamba became UZ’s first black principal, and later Vice Chancellor, and among the people he bestowed honorary degrees with were: founding Prime Minister Mugabe, the late Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Nelson Mandela, while he was still incarcerated.
Since 1980, national service has not been a pre-requisite for admission in the many public and private higher and tertiary institutions.
The various ministers that have run the higher and tertiary education ministry have endeavoured to ensure that products from their institutions remain relevant to current and future needs.
In order to realise Vision 2030, the ministry is reconfiguring higher and tertiary education from focusing only on three teaching, research and community service (HTE 3.0), into one that also includes innovation and industrialisation reoriented as HTE 5.0.
Online Reporter