Chronicle Editor
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
THE Midlands State University (MSU) has abandoned plans to open a medical school in Bulawayo but instead have indicated that it will be establishing a general campus in the city.
Early this year the university, that already has a number of campuses dotted around the country, made an application to the Bulawayo City Council requesting land to establish the third medical school in the country.
The new school was set to be built at the corner Harare Road and Cecil Avenue next to Glengarry suburb.
However, according to the latest council report, the university has since backtracked and instead said it will just be establishing a university campus not the initial medical school.
“The director of housing and community services (Mr Dictor Khumalo) reported that council on 4 March 2020 had resolved to sell Stand Number 19828 BT, as depicted on TPB 823
measuring 3,45 hectares in extent to Midlands State University for the establishment of a Medical
school and ancillary use only at a selling price of $1 987 500 plus an additional sum of $288 187,50 being 14,5 percent value added tax. The purchase price had been paid in full.
“The applicant later on had advised the department that their wish was to construct a University campus and not a Medical school as previously reported. The engineering services department had no town planning objections to the change of use from a Medical school to a University campus as it fell under the same use group as a Medical school,” reads the report.
Once established it will bring to four universities that have campuses in Bulawayo, inclusive of the National University of Science and Technology, Lupane State University and the Catholic University of Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter