Plans for ‘Robert Mugabe University’ may be revived

Plans to construct a university in Zimbabwe named after the late former president Robert Mugabe that were shelved after he was toppled in a military coup in 2017 may be revived following his death.

Mugabe, the former Zimbabwean president who was removed from power almost two years ago, died two weeks ago in Singapore at the age of 95, but is yet to be buried as a mausoleum in which he will be interred is still under construction at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.

In early 2017, the Zimbabwe government announced plans to build a US$1 billion science and technology university named after its long-time ruler who, during his life, read for seven degrees and received honorary degrees from Africa, Asia, former Eastern Europe, Europe and America.

At that time, cabinet approved the plan for the university to be located in the scenic Mazowe district in Mashonaland Central province where Mugabe’s wife Grace Mugabe has already built a school and an orphanage, both of which are named after her.

Grants

Cabinet also approved grants of US$800 million towards the construction of the university and US$200 million towards the university’s endowment fund for research and innovation.

Mugabe and his wife, Grace, were to be the founding trustees of the university to be managed by the Robert Gabriel Mugabe Foundation.

Amid sour relations after Mugabe was succeeded by his long-time ally Emmerson Mnangagwa, the new administration cancelled plans to construct the institution of higher learning, but it seems that following his death the plan may take shape.

However, it is doubtful that the US$1 billion earmarked for the project during Mugabe’s era can be raised in his absence, and there is a possibility the budget will be reduced.

Family to consider the matter

In an interview with University World News, Mugabe family spokesperson Leo Mugabe said the issue of the university will be considered by the family.

“They have said the issue will be discussed at a later stage. As a family we would look into the possibility of forming a technical committee to look into that,” he said.

Zimbabwe’s Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amos Murwira said the issue will come under consideration after Mugabe’s burial and suggested that a higher authority, possibly Mnangagwa, will make an announcement.

Focus on ‘revering’

“Right now we are concentrating on revering the man. The other plans … we will see and it is too big an issue to be talked about by the minister,” he said.

Last year, the higher education minister told a local newspaper the ministry was “studying the university concept so that we can come up with an informed decision or position”.

In 2017, the government said the Robert Gabriel Mugabe University would be designed to facilitate the discovery of scientific, technological and engineering solutions to improve the quality of life in Zimbabwe and humanity and would have eight clusters: computer engineering, nanoscience and nanotechnology, actuarial and mathematical sciences, architectural and structural engineering, telecommunications and electronic engineering, biomedical engineering, international relations and geospatial intelligence, and biotechnology engineering.

‘Iconic global leader’

It said an important feature of the university would be the Robert Gabriel Mugabe Institute, which would focus on “research, historical collections, library and studies on transformative and revolutionary leadership, thinking and attributes that shaped the man, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, to evolve from humble beginnings into an iconic global leader”.

Mugabe, who ruled the country with an iron fist for 37 years, continues to divide popular opinion in death. He is remembered for introducing free basic education and university grants in the 1980s and 1990s that allowed many poor students to attend university.

However, his ruinous economic policies saw the country descend into economic meltdown, eroding incomes, destroying livelihoods and creating a situation in which many students could ill afford university education.