President caps 190 at LSU

Prosper Ndlovu Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday capped 190 students who graduated with degrees in different academic disciplines during the fourth graduation ceremony at Lupane State University LSU). The President, who is also Chancellor of all state universities, also officially commissioned the FCACaculty of Agriculture Building worth about $16 million after the graduation ceremony, paving way for the relocation of the institution from Bulawayo.

The graduates were drawn from the Faculties of Agricultural Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences with females constituting 42,1 percent.

Of the 190 graduates, 22 attained masters’ degrees in development studies while an additional 103 students were awarded certificates after completing diploma courses.

In his report, LSU Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Maclean Bhala said the eight-year-old institution continues to grow as evidenced by its growing enrolment of about 2,000 students and the ongoing construction work on campus.

He appealed for increased government support to expedite the construction of staff and students accommodation to facilitate the relocation of the university, which at the moment operates from rented premises in Bulawayo.

“Your Excellency, we had it in our strategic plan to relocate to our site by the end of 2014 all things being equal but as you can see from the ground so far covered, we still have some mileage to cover the fulfilment of that dream,” said Dr Bhala.

He said the official opening of the agricultural block necessitated an even bigger drive to expedite the completion of the students’ residence block, which is at 60 percent completion.

Dr Bhala said the university had embarked on a fund-raising drive including taking a begging bowl to the Diaspora community.

He said the fund-raising programme initiated by the late Vice-President Landa John Nkomo in 2011 has leveraged the institution above its humble beginnings.

Dr Bhala reported that sometime this year LSU fruitfully approached Zimbabweans based in South Africa with the help of Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Obert Mpofu to entice them to sponsor the development of the university.

Such initiatives, coupled with the support from some financial institutions, Dr Bhala said, had rekindled hope for the speedy growth of LSU.

Said Dr Bhala: “Besides numerous pledges in cash and kind, two significant enterprises have pursued dialogue with us with the intention of getting into joint ventures for the construction of staff houses, library, administration block and students’ hostel.”

He said the concerned organisations have since sent their representatives to LSU campus with dialogue at advanced stages.

Dr Bhala said his institution was mindful of its obligation in assisting government in the fulfillment of the objectives of the new economic blueprint Zim Asset, especially on matters of education and food production.

He said the university was in the process of acquiring land for carrying out commercial farming and research in its quest to transform communities with knowledge and research based production approaches.

Dr Bhala challenged the graduates to utilise the knowledge and skills they acquired during training to improve the country’s economy and create job opportunities for many.

The new agricultural complex consists of several well equipped laboratories, lecture rooms and offices.

The academic block has two lecture threatres with a capacity of 150 students each.

The block also has a library on the first floor, a computer room and an audio-visual centre on the ground floor.

The second floor of the two storey main block has eight laboratories, four lecture theatres, three seminar rooms, four tutorial rooms and sanitary facilities.

On the first floor are four laboratories, 56 lecture and staff offices, a common room and boardroom.
There is also a kitchen, dining and offices for the dean of faculty.

LSU spokesperson Zwelithini Dhlamini said the complex was one out of six such buildings that would be constructed on campus as the university grows.

Several dignitaries among them Cabinet Ministers, Dr Olivia Muchena (Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development) and her deputy Dr Godfrey

Gandawa, Dr Obert Mpofu, Cde Andrew Langa, Cde Cain Mathema, senior Government and  Zanu-PF officials, chiefs and representatives of sister universities attended the event.

In gratitude, LSU gave President Mugabe a Brahman bull in recognition of his contribution to the development of the institution.