Harare, (New Ziana) – President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday reaffirmed government’s unwavering commitment to creating a vibrant educational landscape, singling out student accommodation as one area requiring urgent attention.
He said government should always provide adequate resources to the sector to ensure a learning ecosystem that was agile, adaptable, and finely attuned to the diverse needs of talented youths.
Officially commissioning the Chinhoyi Varsity Heights students’ accommodation, and new administration building of the Chinhoyi University of Technology, President Mnangagwa applauded the Public Service Pension Fund and First Mutual for investing in the project.
The varsity heights students’ accommodation was constructed by the Public Service Pension Fund, partnered by First Mutual, and has a capacity to accommodate 388 students.
He said the investment aligns with the Government’s pursuit of excellence in the delivery of service, and the realisation of the goals of the Heritage-Based Education 5.0 Model, the National Development Strategy and ultimately the attainment of the National Vision.
“The values of hard honest work, prudent use of resources and patriotic spirit witnessed through the various projects undertaken here at CUT must be exuded across all sectors of the economy and indeed in the execution of both private and public funded projects, in our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe.
“Let us continue building our country step by step, forever inspired by our development philosophy,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the student accommodation facility demonstrates government’s commitment to improving the welfare of learners and their academic experience as well as life on campus.
He added that the modern and new look residences will go a long way in providing a conducive learning environment for young learners while enabling convenience, academic success, excellence, discipline, and responsible citizenship.
“I commend all the stakeholders, including design and construction teams, for their professional work and infusion of green building concepts in line with the emerging importance of reducing carbon footprints.
The incorporation of renewable energy as well as abundance of green spaces is commendable and speaks to my Government’s desire that we become a nation that exercises good stewardship over our motherland.
“The quality of work confirms that we have the requisite skills and resources needed to build, modernise and industrialise our great country, Zimbabwe. Well done,” he said.
He said the ongoing national infrastructure projects are demonstrating the efficacy of Public-Private Partnerships, collaborative planning and robust interventions in accelerating sustainable socio-economic development.
“It is worth noting that the youth and women were employed during the construction of the student accommodation facility. Furthermore, several downstream companies and small and medium enterprises were engaged to provide aggregates required during construction,” he said.
“This resonates well with my Government’s commitment to inclusive growth, wealth creation and broad-based empowerment,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the Government in 2018 made a deliberate and bold decision to reconfigure the Public Service Pension Fund and as a result, the Fund is fast becoming a profitable investment vehicle, which not only drives sustainable socio-economic development but also creates wealth for its contributors.
He challenged the Fund to think outside the box and roll out other projects, investments and partnerships that will further stimulate production and productivity in various sectors of the economy, including in the commercialisation of new innovations coming out of institutions of higher learning.
New Ziana