Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
TO help in the fight against Covid-19, Midlands State University (MSU) has donated 2 800 litres of hand sanitiser for distribution to all the 28 constituencies in the Midlands Province.
Twenty-two of the constituencies are in the hands of the ruling Zanu-PF, the MDC Alliance has five seats and one seat is vacant following the death in July this year of National Patriotic Front (NPF) Kwekwe Central MP Masango Matambanadzo.
The MSU’s Incubation Hub is producing around 5 000 litres of hand sanitisers a day while the institution’s textile shop is producing face masks.
Government has since expressed its appreciation for assistance coming from the MSU and other universities in the fight against Covid-19.
In an interview yesterday, MSU Enterprises Director Mr Alex Mukwembi said the donation to both urban and rural constituencies came after they realized that most people do not afford the sanitiers.
The sanitisers are being handed to Members of Parliament to distribute in their constituencies for free.
Mr Mukwembi said the university donated 100 litres to each of the 28 constituencies in the province to mitigate against the spread of the virus.
“The donation is coming out of the realisation that many people are failing to buy the sanitiser especially those in rural areas. So, to assist the Government fight this virus, we have donated 2800 litres across the province,” he said.
Mr Mukwembi said the donation came as the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development is championing education that promotes industrialisation and modernisation.
Zanu PF Midlands provincial chairperson Engineer Daniel Mackenzie Ncube commended MSU for the timely donation which he said is going to assist in the fight against Covid -19.
He said it is evident that the establishment of incubation hubs by the Government at all the State universities is going to contribute towards the development of the country.
Eng Ncube said incubation hubs are there to identify, nurture and patent bankable projects from high schools, colleges, polytechnics and universities.
“This is a welcome development for the Midlands province and the country at large. We now have fruits from the MSU Incubation Hub and we expect more as we fight the spread of Covid-19,” he said.
MSU has previously donated sanitiser to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Gweru Provincial Hospital, Zimbabwe Military Academy, Airforce of Zimbabwe, NatPharm, Gweru City Council, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Batanai Old People’s Home, Queen of Peace Halfway Home, Athlone Children’s Home, and the Boggies Trust among others.
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