News / Local
Lupane State University to relocate from Bulawayo
17 Oct 2014 at 06:51hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe on Thursday officiated at the graduation ceremony of 484 graduands from the Lupane State University (LSU) amid pledges to start a phased relocation of the institution from Bulawayo to the Matabeleland North capital of Lupane, starting June next year.
A moment of silence was observed during the graduation ceremony held at the campus site in Lupane, where construction work is underway, in honour of the inaugural pro vice-chancellor of the institution and acting vice-chancellor for the university, Maclean Makson Bhala, who died in August. Speaking during LSU's fifth graduation ceremony, the institution's acting vice-chancellor, Gertrude Nyakutse paid tribute to her late predecessor, describing his death as having caused 'profound pain' among the university community.
"He (Bhala) was an administrator, researcher and, indeed, a scholar who selflessly gave his life to his country in the pre and post independent Zimbabwe," she said.
"We salute him for his immense contribution to Zimbabwe and more specifically, to the Lupane State University for building this institution from non-existence to what it is today, from the bush to this formidable architectural design that we now see and are now proud of today."
A building which will house the Faculty of Agriculture Sciences was built at the campus site with other structures which are yet to be put to use as the university is operating from Bulawayo, about 170 kilometres away from its location. Nyakutse said from an initial enrolment of 12, the university had grown and now boasts of an enrolment of 3 040.
Yesterday, President Mugabe, who is also the Chancellor of LSU, presided over the graduation of 489 students drawn from the faculties of Agricultural Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences and Commerce.
Out of the 489, a total of 139 received diplomas and overally, more women than men graduated at LSU yesterday. For the first time, the Faculty of Commerce had graduates who completed degrees in Finance, Human Resources Management and Accounting.
Commenting on infrastructural development at the university campus site, she said the female student hostel was 80% complete while the male hostel was at 65% with the kitchen and dining hall at 70% and the construction of two bedroomed junior staff apartments was "progressing steadily".
Nyakutse said although they had planned to relocate the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences from Bulawayo to the campus site in Lupane by June this year, this was not possible and they had now set themselves the target to do so by June next year.
"In terms of resource mobilisation, our priority projects are student accommodation, staff accommodation, health facility and sports fields," she said.
"To this end, the university has purchased over 50 residential stands in Jotsholo for staff accommodation while Makomo Resources , a local coal mining company, has donated over 40 000 bricks towards the construction of staff housing."
A moment of silence was observed during the graduation ceremony held at the campus site in Lupane, where construction work is underway, in honour of the inaugural pro vice-chancellor of the institution and acting vice-chancellor for the university, Maclean Makson Bhala, who died in August. Speaking during LSU's fifth graduation ceremony, the institution's acting vice-chancellor, Gertrude Nyakutse paid tribute to her late predecessor, describing his death as having caused 'profound pain' among the university community.
"He (Bhala) was an administrator, researcher and, indeed, a scholar who selflessly gave his life to his country in the pre and post independent Zimbabwe," she said.
"We salute him for his immense contribution to Zimbabwe and more specifically, to the Lupane State University for building this institution from non-existence to what it is today, from the bush to this formidable architectural design that we now see and are now proud of today."
A building which will house the Faculty of Agriculture Sciences was built at the campus site with other structures which are yet to be put to use as the university is operating from Bulawayo, about 170 kilometres away from its location. Nyakutse said from an initial enrolment of 12, the university had grown and now boasts of an enrolment of 3 040.
Yesterday, President Mugabe, who is also the Chancellor of LSU, presided over the graduation of 489 students drawn from the faculties of Agricultural Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences and Commerce.
Out of the 489, a total of 139 received diplomas and overally, more women than men graduated at LSU yesterday. For the first time, the Faculty of Commerce had graduates who completed degrees in Finance, Human Resources Management and Accounting.
Commenting on infrastructural development at the university campus site, she said the female student hostel was 80% complete while the male hostel was at 65% with the kitchen and dining hall at 70% and the construction of two bedroomed junior staff apartments was "progressing steadily".
Nyakutse said although they had planned to relocate the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences from Bulawayo to the campus site in Lupane by June this year, this was not possible and they had now set themselves the target to do so by June next year.
"In terms of resource mobilisation, our priority projects are student accommodation, staff accommodation, health facility and sports fields," she said.
"To this end, the university has purchased over 50 residential stands in Jotsholo for staff accommodation while Makomo Resources , a local coal mining company, has donated over 40 000 bricks towards the construction of staff housing."
Source - Zim Mail
