Zimdef to construct an industrial technical college in Binga

Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief

AS part of the Second Republic’s rural development strategy aimed at developing everyone and every district- plans are underway by Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef) to construct an industrial technical college in Binga at Binga Centre.

Already, a piece of land has been donated by Binga Rural District Council to Zimdef for the worthy cause with the latter aiming to open the doors for the technical college by the end of 2022.

The college is expected to channel out young women and men who will drive the economic growth of Binga through using available resources to produce goods that will transform the district.

Plans are also underway to construct another technical college in Victoria Falls, Plumtree and Beitbridge to make sure that people have access to Education 5.0 which is centered on the Heritage based philosophy in shaping future technology through innovation and industrialisation.

Zimdef was established with the mandate of funding the development of critical and highly skilled human capital in Zimbabwe.

Addressing Zimdef leadership and heads of department attending a three-day strategic plan progress review workshop at Changamire Conference Centre at Village Lodge in Gweru yesterday, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Professor Amon Murwira said Binga Technical college would bring about industrialisation of the district.

“The Second Republic is working on establishing a Binga Industrial Technical College at Binga Centre. The land is there which was donated by the local authority. This is part of rural industrialisation by the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa. We are also looking at Plumtree, Victoria Falls and Beitbridge before we move to Chipinge, Nyamapanda, Kanyemba, Chirundu where we are going to establish institutions aimed at developing and industrializing these areas. We want to make sure that there is access to education across the country through education 5.0,” said Prof Murwira.

He said to show the success of Zimdef under the Second Republic, Hwange Teachers College is now in its third year running.

“The past three years have been good for Zimdef and people are now proud to be associated with it. For example, Zimdef managed to renovate Gwanda State University into a state of the art center of learning. Gwanda State University is the only university in the country where all lecturers have accommodation, the only one where all students have on campus accommodation,” said Prof Murwira.

Zimdef, he said, has constructed innovation hubs and industrial parks much to the benefit of the people and the nation.

Prof Murwira said through the success of the innovation hubs and industrial parks- the country managed to mitigate against the spread of Covid-19 pandemic through the manufacturing of sanitisers and also face masks.

“Where would we be if we had not manufactured our own sanitisers? Zimdef programmes have been assisting the country. Zimdef has funded the chicken project at Lupane University, the construction of the University of Zimbabwe Hospital in Mazowe, the pathology center at Midlands State University. In terms of human capital development, there is an industrial park at MSU and now more than 80 locals are employed in the textiles section. The University is working on producing tar. It also produces 200 tonnes of oranges and we want them to make juice. These are a few examples of development that has been brought by Zimdef under the Second Republic and we want to record more success stories in all corners of the country through science and innovation,” he said.

Prof Murwira who is a trustee at Zimdef said the fund should be an anchor for national development through science and industrialisation.

He said they managed to put a board at Zimdef that oversees the running of the fund so as to curb abuse of funds by the trustee as was the case before.

“Zimdef focus should be on Vision 2030 and it starts with you transforming as an entity. Zimdef should be beyond reproach. It should be associated with professionalism and push innovation through science and technology in line with Vision 2030,” said Prof Murwira.

“It is high time that we do away with donors who always have strings attached to their aid. There is a need for Zimdef to come up with strategies that drive industrialisation, development for Zimbabweans to ride on to develop their own country because no one will come and develop our country.”

He said as the country advances towards production and development, President Mnangagwa made a declaration 229/2021 that in any science/ innovations that is going to be done in the country, there will no longer be through public tender.

“This is because other people can’t tell what we are planning, for example if we are looking at manufacturing vaccines. Any development we do will not go through public tender so that we do it quietly. At the same time going through public tender was resulting in the inflation of materials,” said Prof Murwira.