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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
THE prevailing peace and unity are a cornerstone to modernisation of the country and a pre-requisite to attracting foreign investment, President Mnangagwa has said.

He was addressing members of the corporate world, academics and members of the business community during the Midlands State University (MSU) fundraising golf tournament and dinner for the construction of the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Law School and liberation heritage centre in Kwekwe on Saturday.

The President also donated $50 000 for the worthy cause.

“I believe that ladies and gentlemen, let us be found standing up to grow our economy, to modernise our lives, you can only attract global capital into your own jurisdiction if they recognise that you have a vision and a road map, you know where you want to go and what you want to achieve, that way you will attract external support,” he said.

“All those countries today who are developing, middle income countries have only achieved those statuses because they have maintained peace in their countries, they are united in their countries, they collaborate, and both the private and public sector work together. These projects call them “ours” and not “theirs.”

“It is my view that collectively or individually you must say I have something to do with the glory today or tomorrow of where that institution is going. That alone gives you pride of having had a hand in the development of the institution and education of the country.”

President Mnangagwa said when people put their heads together, nothing would stop them from realising their goals, adding that it was very possible to have a world class State University in Kwekwe along Nkayi Road.

“We have come to support this vision by MSU to build a campus here in Kwekwe. Slightly unfair for me to talk about this because when Professor (Ngwabi) Bhebhe was still a vice chancellor for MSU we worked on this together. I am happy that the idea (of having a Law School in Kwekwe) is the original one when we were sitting until after midnight trying to craft how to bring about MSU at the time because the demands were for State universities across the country and it depended on how well prepared and how well structured your argument was.

“I am happy I had the brains in the mould of Prof Bhebhe, the late Richard Hove, the late Midlands Province Governor Cephas Msipa, July Moyo and Fredrick Shava who were the brains and I was only chairing the meeting and taking the information to the right places,” he said.

“Now we have a vision. Over 44 years to come when young people, youths, just like 44 years ago in the early 1960s when our leaders had a vision that black people will rule themselves but a few shared that vision.

The President told a story about how many doubted freedom fighters would liberate the country.

He said two villagers actually fought in Masvingo, one saying it was possible and the other saying it could not be done.

The one who doubted it could be done, said the President, lost and the victor sat on his chest after he fell to the ground.

“So this is the same vision we are talking about, the guy who fell didn’t see the vision that black people would one day rule themselves because the country is theirs. Even today we may find some people here or in town who hear that we are gathered to raise funds to construct a world class, state of the art law school on the way to Nkayi, they will laugh at us for wanting to construct a better university than Oxford or Yale University, but these things are actually possible,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said under the Second Republic, the vision was to turn the economy into an upper middle class economy although there are some people who doubt that vision.

“We sat together with my colleagues and said we want this country to attain upper middle class economic status by 2030. I know among my team there are those who agreed and some who didn’t but could not say so. I also said Zimbabwe is open for business and some looked at each other asking what I had consumed. But I have added another mantra to say we are open for business and dialogue,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said Professor Victor Muzvidziwa now had the task of making sure that the Kwekwe Law School construction becomes a reality.

“So this (fundraising dinner and golf) is the second step towards the realisation of this dream. When MSU was started, former President Mugabe asked me where we would get a Vice Chancellor. At the time Prof Bhebhe was teaching History at the University Zimbabwe. So I and the late Richard Hove consulted the late Vice President Muzenda on the issue of MSU Vice Chancellor and we told him we had Prof Bhebhe in mind and he agreed and it sailed through.

“The burden now is with Prof Muzvidziwa to make sure the project comes to life. You have started well by gathering these people here today. I was listening to your message and you are very clear on your road map. It’s a message of hope. It’s very clear and you are not saying to the Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube give us money for this project. But you are also saying we as the private sector or as parents this is where we want to go for the benefit of our children,” he said.

Prominent business person and owner of Solomon Hotel Mr Solomon Matsa donated $50 000 while Bishop Kandros Mugabe from Kwekwe donated 20 000 bricks among other notable donations which ran into thousands of dollars in both cash and kind made during the night.