Students remain hopeful after president’s inauguration

Following the inauguration of Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa two weeks ago, there is hope that a new progressive era beckons for the country’s higher education sector.

Even before the presidential elections on 30 July, Mnangagwa started pursuing policies aimed at transforming the sector after the dramatic resignation of Robert Mugabe in November last year. He also reached out to students by holding a pre-election students’ convention, and met with vice-chancellors to hear their grievances.

According to Zimbabwe Congress of Students' Union (ZICOSU) President Tafadzwa Gambiza, this marked a decisive shift away from Mugabe’s approach.

“During the student convention, the president said many of the issues that were raised by students were reasonable … We raised a number of issues such as the hiking of fees which he promised to address and we are positive,” he said.

The student leader said he was encouraged that Mnangagwa had brought effective positive measures which included the slashing of fees for students on industrial attachment.

Under Mnangagwa’s presidency, the country is working on establishing university towns. In March his government held a Higher and Tertiary Education Infrastructure Investment conference, attended by academia, bankers, student leaders as well as local and foreign investors. Several investors committed US$1,5 billion and the deals are at various stages of implementation.

Mnangagwa told the gathering that the government’s aim was to build state-of-the-art lecture theatres, lecture rooms, well-equipped laboratories and resourced libraries, decent accommodation, cafeterias, along with modern sporting and recreational facilities and ICT facilities.

“Since coming to power, the president also appointed a former lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe Dr Amon Murwira as higher education minister. The minister is more responsive and accommodative to students than the previous one,” said Gambiza. “He has also told university principals that they should not be bosses but servants. There is a new culture in our universities, even though there is resistance in some quarters.”

Blessing Zhou who is eyeing the Student Representative Council (SRC) presidency in the forthcoming elections at the National University of Science and Technology, said within eight months of replacing Mugabe, Mnangagwa had also created university innovation hubs at six institutions, and with more time at the helm, more is likely to be achieved.

Zhou said the new leader’s motto that the economy will come first, followed by politics, gives hope for an economic turnaround which is critical for them to get jobs after graduation.

“We can say we are going somewhere. With what he has achieved in less than a year, in five years there will be progress,” said Zhou.

Comparing Mugabe and Mnangagwa, UZ SRC secretary-general, Tafadzwa Ponela, said: “One of the notable changes … is that Mnangagwa interacts more with students. Under Mugabe, we never had platforms to air our views,” he said.

During his recent inauguration speech, Mnangagwa indicated he would continue with his engagement and re-engagement policy to end Zimbabwe’s international isolation and pursue market-driven policies at home.

“We look forward to playing a positive and constructive role as a free, democratic, transparent and responsible member of the family of nations,” he said.