MASVINGO – The Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) will be renting Shabanie Mashaba Mines (SMM)’s Gathsmine in Mashava for the next 10 years in an effort to ease the office and accommodation crisis that has haunted the State institution. REPORT BY TATENDA CHITAGU OWN CORRESPONDENT
Currently, the GZU is housed at Masvingo Teachers’ College waiting for the construction of its main site near the Great Zimbabwe Monuments.
GZU spokesperson James July confirmed the development yesterday, saying some departments and faculties, as well as students and staff would be housed at Gaths Mine in Mashava.
“We have a 10-year lease agreement with the mine for reasonable rentals. Some departments will be moved to Mashava. We will be having a handover-takeover ceremony tomorrow. We have not yet decided which departments, but the deal will go a long way in easing our infrastructure problems,” July said.
He said once GZU moved to Mashava, it would become the new face of the State institution as it was currently difficult for people to distinguish between the university and Masvingo Teachers’ College as the two were sharing facilities.
“That will become the face of GZU. We were having a dilemma, but we will have a place of our own for the time being, while we are constructing our main campus. The place was lying idle,” he said.
The mine has collapsed since it was forcibly taken from its owner Mutumwa Mawere by the government and placed under SMM administrator Afaras Gwaradzimba through the Reconstruction Act.
Workers have gone for several years without salaries and have reportedly resorted to gold panning, prostitution, illicit drug dealing and marrying off young daughters to make ends meet.
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Other ex-workers have relocated to Masvingo.
