Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
LUPANE State University is waiting for Government to relocate returnees from its campus before reopening for students as institutions of higher learning get down to business starting today.
Tertiary institutions were prematurely closed in March, together with schools as Government moved to combat the spread of Covid-19.
Government later imposed a nationwide lockdown to mitigate the spread of the global pandemic.
Government has said universities can start reopening today as it pushes to salvage the 2019/2020 academic year.
The National University of Science and Technology (Nust) has set June 8 as its initial reopening date.
In its reopening plan, Nust has segmented classes and abolished parallel lectures.
The situation is however different for LSU which has been serving as a quarantine centre for Matabeleland North as it is still accommodating returnees.
LSU marketing and communication director Mr Zwelithini Dlamini yesterday said the institution will only open after all returnees have been moved from the university’s campus and the place is fumigated.
“We are hosting returnees as a quarantine centre, we therefore wait to be guided by the Government regarding their departure and other safety precautions before the students can return to campus,” said Mr Dlamini.
He said at the moment the university will continue engaging students through e-learning platforms.
Chronicle could not immediately establish the number of returnees accommodated at the university.
Government recently revealed that it was looking for alternative quarantine facilities as it can no longer continue using schools and higher and tertiary education institutions as isolation centres.
Speaking to our sister paper, Sunday News, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the reopening programme for universities was on course.
He said institutions such as LSU, will only reopen when all quarantined people have left.
“Universities, starting out first week of June are rolling out the programme of re-opening. It is not like we set the date saying as from 1 June things will be happening this way. It is a gradual programme of opening because as you know for example Lupane State University is still being used as a quarantine centre. There is a day that the last quarantined person will leave,” said Prof Murwira.-@nqotshili
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