Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
The Midlands State University (MSU) has started producing Covid-19 awareness material in all the 16 local languages including Braille and Sign language to provide Zimbabweans with information to fight the virus.
The university’s Incubation Hub has started 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 MSU and other universities and the local business community in the fight against Covid-19, saying it will help lessen the burden of the budget deficit expected this year.
MSU public relations and communications director Mrs Mirirai Mawere said the institution has been tasked by the Government to produce an initial 700 000 Covid-19 audio and visual material for all the languages.
“We are printing Covid-19 awareness reading material right now. We are producing material for all the 16 officially recognised languages of Zimbabwe plus the Braille form of writing. We have been tasked by the National Covid-19 Taskforce to produce 700 000 copies and distribution across the languages will be on a pro rata basis with 300 000 copies for English,” said Mrs Mawere.
She said Sign Language material will be in the form of DVDs, CDs and memory flash disks.
“Braille documents have been produced in limited numbers and will be evenly distributed across the provinces,” she said.
Briefing Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube who was touring MSU projects on Friday last week, MSU Vice Chancellor Professor Victor Muzvidziwa said the university established the MSU Printing Press in July 2019 following acquisition of the former Modern Press Facilities.
Prof Muzvidziwa said the initial intention was for the university to ensure that all printing requirements are done internally after realising that outsourcing printing had proved costly for the university.
“Since 2019, the Press has successfully printed all examination answer booklets and all printing requirements for the 2019 graduation ceremony, saving significant amounts of money for the university. The university is predisposed to embracing change and desires to take a leading role in the revival of the economy,” he said.
Prof Muzvidziwa said in response to the threat posed by Covid-19 and to Government’s efforts to contain the spread of the virus, the university’s Incubation Hub has temporarily set up a production plant for hand sanitisers at the Incubation Hub laboratory.
“The plant was set up from scratch and has so far spent $641 475 out of an estimated Capex of $1 million. An automated filling, labelling and packaging line is required and is estimated to cost $2,5 million.
“The line will have bottle blowing, cleaning, filling, packaging and batch numbering. This equipment will have to be imported from China,” said Prof Muzvidziwa.
“The plant has a capacity to produce up to 7 000 litres of hand sanitiser per day once the filling, labelling and packaging sections of the plant are automated. Currently, the production capacity of the plant is at 5 000l per day.”
He said the university was also producing face masks.
“The current daily production stands at 3 000 and cumulatively, as at 20 April, we have produced 49 430 masks. With additional capital, we are targeting a daily production of 6 000 masks per day,” he said.
Minister Ncube said he appreciated how MSU as well as other universities were transforming themselves, turning knowledge and research into goods and services for the benefit of the country.
“I am at MSU to see how the university is contributing to our fight against this invisible enemy, Covid 19. But also, it was to appreciate how practical the university has become transforming basic knowledge and research into goods and services,” said Minister Ncube.
Minister Ncube said Government is looking at ideas that have viable projects to create an entrepreneurial spirit in the country.
“We want to create an entrepreneurial spirit in the country. This is how new companies are created. But also, we are grateful to other partners who have contributed to this fight,” he said.
Online Reporter