News / National
Chiwenga hails church partnership
01 Jul 2023 at 07:55hrs | Views
Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga has hailed the Roman Catholic Church for partnering Government in human capital development towards meeting the demands of the economy's national industrial and development agenda.
VP Chiwenga said this when he officiated at the reopening ceremony of the Roman Catholic Church run Chinhoyi Rural Training Centre.
The centre was reopened yesterday after closing two years ago to pave way for an expansion and modernisation programme and will now accommodate 82 full-time students and a further 80 students on a part-time basis up from the initial 15 student capacity.
The centre targets students who are not academically gifted enough to meet the entry requirements of universities and polytechnic colleges, but are still capable enough to be part of the country's human capital base.
Courses on offer include carpentry and joinery, metal work, machining, motor mechanics, automobile electrics welding and metal fabrication, building, cookery, cosmetology, plumbing and drain laying, clothing and textiles.
To this end, VP Chiwenga — who was accompanied by his wife Colonel Miniyothabo Chiwenga, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said such training centres had a huge role in an empowered upper-middle income economy as envisioned by President Mnangagwa.
"This institution we are opening here today will go a long way in complimenting our policy thrust of creating a knowledge-driven economy which ultimately leads to sustainable socio-economic growth, innovation for industrialisation and the modernisation of our country," said VP Chiwenga. "I pledge full Government support to this project. Government will provide lecturers to Chinhoyi Rural Training Centre as a way of supporting this noble training initiative.
"The involvement of the Chinhoyi Diocese in technical and vocational education and training is not only an achievement in its own right, but also an indication that the Roman Catholic Church is genuinely concerned with the economic growth of the country.
"A glance at the investment you have made at this training centre indicates that you are also contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially goals number 4, 5, and 9 that is: quality education, gender equality and industry, innovation and infrastructure."
Turning to the much-anticipated August 2023 elections, VP Chiwenga appealed to the church and the youth to play a part in the promotion of peace before, during and after the elections.
He said the populace must heed President Mnangagwa's call for peace and also implored them to vote for the revolutionary party and all its candidates as it is the party that brought the independence and developmental projects that Zimbabwe enjoys.
"I kindly request your vote for the revolutionary and ruling party, Zanu-PF, whose sole Presidential candidate is none other than the President, His Excellency, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa," said the VP.
"It is the party that brought independence, freedom and a development agenda, particularly the Second Republic where we have embarked on major projects aimed at radically transforming the livelihoods of our people for the better."
The institution also uses gas energy for some of its training services and VP Chiwenga pledged that for the remainder of this year, Government will take care of the institution's gas requirements.
He implored churches to do their role in moulding an upright citizen while Government continued with its mandate to the citizenry.
Minister Murwira said the coming on board of the church with such interventions, coupled with what Government was already doing augurs well for the country's education system and its development agenda.
"Industrialisation and modernisation is the aim of education," said Minister Murwira.
"If the design of an education system does not lead to industrialisation and modernisation then it's a wrong design.
"Industrialisation and modernisation is our goal as Zimbabwe and this defines our Vision 2030 which His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa enunciated.
"Our key objective is to have a higher and tertiary education that is configured to develop Zimbabwe."
Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Chinhoyi, Bishop Raymond Mupandasekwa, thanked VP Chiwenga for honouring them with his presence at the reopening of the training centre.
VP Chiwenga said this when he officiated at the reopening ceremony of the Roman Catholic Church run Chinhoyi Rural Training Centre.
The centre was reopened yesterday after closing two years ago to pave way for an expansion and modernisation programme and will now accommodate 82 full-time students and a further 80 students on a part-time basis up from the initial 15 student capacity.
The centre targets students who are not academically gifted enough to meet the entry requirements of universities and polytechnic colleges, but are still capable enough to be part of the country's human capital base.
Courses on offer include carpentry and joinery, metal work, machining, motor mechanics, automobile electrics welding and metal fabrication, building, cookery, cosmetology, plumbing and drain laying, clothing and textiles.
To this end, VP Chiwenga — who was accompanied by his wife Colonel Miniyothabo Chiwenga, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said such training centres had a huge role in an empowered upper-middle income economy as envisioned by President Mnangagwa.
"This institution we are opening here today will go a long way in complimenting our policy thrust of creating a knowledge-driven economy which ultimately leads to sustainable socio-economic growth, innovation for industrialisation and the modernisation of our country," said VP Chiwenga. "I pledge full Government support to this project. Government will provide lecturers to Chinhoyi Rural Training Centre as a way of supporting this noble training initiative.
"The involvement of the Chinhoyi Diocese in technical and vocational education and training is not only an achievement in its own right, but also an indication that the Roman Catholic Church is genuinely concerned with the economic growth of the country.
"A glance at the investment you have made at this training centre indicates that you are also contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially goals number 4, 5, and 9 that is: quality education, gender equality and industry, innovation and infrastructure."
Turning to the much-anticipated August 2023 elections, VP Chiwenga appealed to the church and the youth to play a part in the promotion of peace before, during and after the elections.
"I kindly request your vote for the revolutionary and ruling party, Zanu-PF, whose sole Presidential candidate is none other than the President, His Excellency, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa," said the VP.
"It is the party that brought independence, freedom and a development agenda, particularly the Second Republic where we have embarked on major projects aimed at radically transforming the livelihoods of our people for the better."
The institution also uses gas energy for some of its training services and VP Chiwenga pledged that for the remainder of this year, Government will take care of the institution's gas requirements.
He implored churches to do their role in moulding an upright citizen while Government continued with its mandate to the citizenry.
Minister Murwira said the coming on board of the church with such interventions, coupled with what Government was already doing augurs well for the country's education system and its development agenda.
"Industrialisation and modernisation is the aim of education," said Minister Murwira.
"If the design of an education system does not lead to industrialisation and modernisation then it's a wrong design.
"Industrialisation and modernisation is our goal as Zimbabwe and this defines our Vision 2030 which His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa enunciated.
"Our key objective is to have a higher and tertiary education that is configured to develop Zimbabwe."
Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Chinhoyi, Bishop Raymond Mupandasekwa, thanked VP Chiwenga for honouring them with his presence at the reopening of the training centre.
Source - The Herald
