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Fatima Bulla
THE Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (Zegu) aims to enrol about 2 000 students for entrepreneurial courses in line with Government’s empowerment initiatives, an official has said.
Zimbabwe’s education sector is experiencing a major shift with a deliberate drive to move away from a curriculum that has been deemed to be churning out students who have an employee mentality, to one imbued with developing entrepreneurs.
As a result, Government has introduced the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programme to address significant skills shortages.
Established along the same empowerment concept, the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Forward in Faith-owned university is pursuing a vision to groom “complete individuals”.
Zegu marketing and public relations officer Mr Charles Mapurisa said the university was pursuing the vision of developing talents as inspired by Zaoga leader, Archbishop Ezekiel Guti.
Mr Mapurisa said Zegu, which currently has an enrolment of around 200 students, was moving forward with its objective to train individuals who are complete and equipped with entrepreneurial skills.
“This university came from a programme of talents which encouraged people to work for themselves. People were encouraged to work on self-help projects to raise funds for their households and the church. But it was more so for their household
“So the idea is to transform people to work for themselves. And our niche is entrepreneurship, grooming a person who is complete,” he said.
After the ground breaking ceremony in 2010, fundraising through talents began the following year. While this initiative continued, subsequent construction at the institution was also taking place.
In May 2012 the university was opened at AMFCC College in Harare with the Faculty of Arts’ Department of Theology and Religious Studies. Then 11 students, five female and six male, had registered. The university would move to its Bindura campus in 2012.
While the Faculties of Arts, Commerce and Education are already running, Mr Mapurisa said some like the department of Law will be opening soon.
“The hostels are yet to be finished, the main administration and library as well. Every faculty has its library, computer laboratory and three lecture rooms. And as a church which is currently in 128 countries we are targeting to draw international students on this institution,” he said.
In February, the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education stopped Zegu from enrolling Law students because its law school had not yet been approved. The university had flighted adverts inviting applications from prospective Law students.
Mr Mapurisa said when complete, Zegu would have Agriculture and Natural Resources, Commerce and ICT, Education and Health Sciences faculties.
The university’s intake is open to all regardless of religious affiliation, Mr Mapurisa added.
Based in Bindura, Zegu is facing some rocky times. A default eviction order was granted against it after a businessman approached the courts saying the university was built on land on which he has gold claims.
Last Monday, the High Court temporarily suspended the demolition of the multi-million dollar university pending determination of the church’s application for rescission of the court’s decision.
Online Reporter