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Business Correspondent
THE newly opened restaurant — Padandaro — a Mutare Poly’s Tourism and Hospitality Department project, will help boost the institution’s financial position which has for long been sustained by substantive revenue from the production works, the college principal, Mr Tobias Kuwengwa, has said.
Speaking last Friday at the official opening of the restaurant which is situated in the city, Mr Kuwengwa said the establishment of the posh restaurant would create a platform for students’ work-related learning requirements.
Before the establishment, the college main campus had inadequate training facilities as well as shortage of learning space.
“The opening of the restaurant is expected to enhance revenue generation for the institution to sustain its operations apart from practical skills training. The acquisition and development of skills plays an essential role in stimulating rapid national industrialisation and employment creation through techno-preneurship,” Mr Kuwengwa said.
The restaurant specialises in a variety of traditional cuisines as well as western meals.
It also offers convenient hiring facilities and services for different indoor and outdoor functions such as weddings, anniversaries, funerals, memorial services and corporate functions.
Addressing guests, the permanent secretary for Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Dr Washington Mbizvo, who was the guest of honour, said the opening of the restaurant was timely in view of the ministry’s thrust of linking theory and practice and responding to market situations in order to produce a graduate who is conversant with the real world of work.
“In Zimbabwe, there is now increasing awareness of the role of Hospitality and Tourism as a productive activity and its potential to generate direct and indirect employment, contribution to national fiscus lead to other benefits in the economy. In view of the promising prospects of the sector, Mutare Polytechnic has made timely investments in programmes and facilities that will ensure a ready supply of professionally trained graduates and generate extra income for the institution,” said Dr Mbizvo.
He said the facility was mandated to facilitate the delivery of high quality, sustainable products and services that contribute to the economic development of Zimbabwe.
“I want to applaud the college for being innovative, demonstrating entrepreneurial prowess and aligning themselves to the national economic blue-print, Zim-Asset.
“This hospitality entity is not just bringing business to Mutare Polytechnic but driving new growth in our communities and helping to deliver the more diversified service that is desperately needed,” he added.
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