adminLeonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
LUPANE State University (LSU) has completed the construction of the Faculty of Agriculture in Lupane and the infrastructure is now ready for use, an official has said. The university’s director of Information and publicity, Zwelithini Dlamini, said LSU would relocate some of its faculties, staff and students to the Matabeleland North provincial capital before year-end after receiving $1,6 million from government to complete the construction of student hostels, staff cottages, kitchen and other facilities.
Dlamini said the money from treasury would go a long way in making sure the facilities at the Lupane campus were completed in time for the relocation.
“This $1,6 million will go a long way in completing construction work at our Lupane campus. However, there is still a need for more because the completion of these facilities is what will decide our relocation, which should be before year end. We have part of our staff members operating from our Lupane campus. Those who are already on site are director of Physical Planning, Works and Estates and farm manager,” he said.
Dlamini said the Faculty of Agriculture, which was under construction, was now complete and ready for use.
Finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, said in his mid-term fiscal review three weeks ago that the government was seized with ensuring the LSU relocated to Lupane as it was incurring costs in rentals at the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) premises.
Meanwhile, Victoria Falls Municipality and LSU have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will result in the tertiary institution opening a satellite campus in the resort town.
The move is set to benefit the people of Victoria Falls, especially those with interest in the tourism sector, as plans are underway to start with a tourism school.
Speaking to The Chronicle at the just ended Hwange Agricultural Show, Victoria Falls Municipality spokesperson, Ngqabutho Moyo, said the MoU was signed recently.
He said the two partners were driven by the need to steer social responsibility and develop communities around them.
Dlamini, who was at the local authority’s exhibition stand on Sunday, said their aim was to take education to the people.
“The university has three pillars which are research, teaching and community service. It is under community service that we have identified Victoria Falls Municipality as one of our partners in terms of establishing classes for education.
“We may end up with a campus in Victoria Falls to help people from Hwange, Binga and Victoria Falls who haven’t been able to access tertiary education because of lack of learning institutions closer to them,” said Dlamini.
He said plans were underway to start tourism and hospitality management classes in Victoria Falls. Dlamini said it was strange that there was no hotel and hospitality school in the resort town despite the town being touted as the epicentre of tourism in the country.
“We’re confident this will have a great impact on the resort town. Our target is to have surrounding communities having access to knowledge so that they can start self-help projects. That’s the principle behind our partnership,” said Dlamini.
He said they had already opened a small library in partnership with the public library to help students carry out their research work.
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