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President Mugabe caps music superstar Oliver Mtukudzi who was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Ethnomusicology and Choreography by the Great Zimbabwe University in Masvingo yesterday

Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
President Mugabe yesterday capped 1,063 students who graduated with first and higher degrees at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) at a ceremony that saw music icon Oliver Mtukudzi being conferred with an honorary Doctor of Ethnomusicology and Choroegraphy degree.

The institution’s eighth graduation ceremony saw a number of students graduating posthumously, among them the late national hero Brigadier General Eliah Bandama who graduated with a Masters of Business Administration in Human Resource Management.

About 46 percent of the 1,063 of those who graduated from the faculties of Commerce, Social Sciences, Education, Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Arts as well as Culture and Heritage Studies were females.

In his address, GZU Chancellor Vice-Chancellor Professor Rungano Zvobgo hailed the progressive spirits by university staff members which has seen the university growing.

He said the institution has already embraced the country’s economic blueprint, Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset).

“Zim-Asset now flows freely in the veins of GZU and informs every one of our endeavours. To that end, we infused the tenets and objectives of the economic blueprint into our strategic plan, from which we can navigate the trajectory of our operations.

“As an institution of higher learning, ours is mainly to provide the technically competent and critically needed human resources through human capital development,” said Prof Zvobgo.

He said the university will endeavour to participate in the promotion of economic development through culture since its marketing niche is culture and heritage.

“The selection of this university to be the centre of excellence for the study of cultural heritage and the arts strengthens our determination to participate in leveraging cultural industries for economic well-being and advancement of our people in Zimbabwe first and foremost and the region at large,” he added..

He also highlighted that the Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education (ZIMCHE) has this year approved 14 new undergraduates and Master’s degree programmes at the institution.

The approved programmes comprise Bachelor of Law Honours, Bachelor of Science Honours in Local Governance, Counselling, Politics and Public Administration as well as Peace, Conflict and Governance.

Prof Zvobgo also said the university was planning to hold workshops with chiefs to fulfil its mandate to work closely with traditional leaders who by their nature are custodians of culture which the university is promoting.

In attendance were Higher, Tertiary, and Science and Technology Development Minister Dr Olivia Muchena, Permanent Secretary Dr Washington Mbizvo, ZIMCHE chief executive officer, Professor Emmanuel Ngara, Energy and Power Development Minister Cde Dzikamai Mavhaire, Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa, Deputy Agriculture Minister Responsible for Crops Cde Davison Marapira and Midlands State University Vice Chancellor Professor Ngwabi Bhebhe, among others.