ZIMDEF strategic says Prof Moyo

Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo says the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF) is a strategic mediating institution between policy, research and industry.

Professor Moyo said this during the commissioning of state-of-the-art automotive equipment availed by ZIMDEF to 9 polytechnics and industrial centres in the country.

2 500 engineering and technical students from 7 polytechnics and two industrial centres dotted across the country are set to benefit from the equipment worth US$2.3 million.

Speaking at the commissioning of the equipment which was sourced by ZIMDEF, Professor Moyo said there is a lot of misconceptions about the exact functions of ZIMDEF pointing out that it is not a bank but is a key institution that creates interface for policy, research and industry.

ZIMDEF Chief Executive Officer Mr Frederick Mandizvidza says the provision of the state-of-the-art equipment is going to transform the tertiary education landscape, adding that access to technology should be a basic right for engineering students.

The technical and engineering students were being trained using obsolete equipment that had become irrelevant to current trends.