Mugabe caps 1 679 Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) graduates

PRESIDENT Mugabe on Friday capped 1 679 Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) graduates, among them pioneers of the Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Philosophy.

The graduates are from 31 different degrees and diplomas offered by the institution with 48 percent of the graduands being women.

Those who graduated with PHDs are Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu (Policy Studies), Zanu-PF Chief Whip Cde Joram Gumbo (Policy Studies) and Police Senior Assistant Commissioner Charles Makono (Philosophy in Management).

Ms Ntombiyendaba Muchuchuti obtained a Master of Philosophy degree.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, ZOU Vice Chancellor Dr Primrose Kurasha said the institution believed in quality education for all without any bottlenecks.

She said ZOU had become a renowned institution in the country and the region.

"As testimony to the quality of our programmes, Sir (President Mugabe), the lecturers of all the local and many of the regional universities, use the ZOU learning materials or modules as instructional materials," Dr Kurasha said.

"Through our special Directorate for Higher Degrees, we currently have learners in and outside Zimbabwe who have enrolled on these programmes."

Dr Kurasha said ZOU engaged supervisors with the requisite qualifications from anywhere in the world adding that the distance learning institution will never run out of supervisors and examiners.

She said ZOU now offers training to new farmers through the Centre for Professional Development.

So far, Dr Kurasha said 1 000 farmers have been trained in Mashonaland East province but the institution targets all the 60 000 small-scale tobacco farmers by 2013.

She said the intention was to apply the same model to all other crops and farming ventures.

Dr Kurasha said ZOU will introduce a School of Health Sciences and a Faculty of Information Technology and Multimedia Communication adding that the programmes were now with the regulatory authority.

She said the illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and the HIV/Aids pandemic had seen potentially brilliant young people failing to access higher education.

Dr Kurasha said to cater for these, ZOU had introduced the school leavers open distance learning programme.

She paid tribute to the Government for the support to retain qualified personnel.

Because of the support, she said the institution had reduced its staff turnover going to levels of less than one percent from a high of 64 percent in 2008.

Minister Mpofu said the ceremony was an eventful occasion in his life.

"I cherish this very much because I had desired this for a long time.

"This adds fertility in my intellectual capacity and as a leader I have benefited a lot from what I have learnt and this is going to help me in executing my leadership roles," he said.

Cde Gumbo said he had gained a lot of wisdom during his studies.

"I have not obtained this qualification to make myself employable but to improve myself in gaining more wisdom.

"As a Government official this qualification will help me give wise counsel and advise to the Government and the community at large," he said.

Cde Gumbo who is Mberengwa West legislator urged fellow parliamentarians to further their studies to make wise contributions in Parliament.

Snr Ast Comm Makono said: "I hope those people who have been looking down upon our police force will see that we are also qualified and professional.

"I want to thank Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri for allowing us to pursue our studies while urging other police officers to endeavour to improve themselves academically."