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Meagre allocations hamper technology progress

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SECRETARY for Science and Technology Francis Gudyanga has blamed erratic disbursement of funds by Treasury for hampering progress on most of his department’s biodiesel and nanotechnology projects.

SECRETARY for Science and Technology Francis Gudyanga has blamed erratic disbursement of funds by Treasury for hampering progress on most of his department’s biodiesel and nanotechnology projects.

REPORT BY VENERANDA LANGA

Gudyanga made the remarks on Monday when he appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology chaired by Insiza MP Siyabonga Ncube.

He said they had requested for $6,7 million for research activities on jatropha, but only received $100 000.

“We have since been allocated 6 000 hectares of land for jatropha plantations in Mudzi, but we cannot start planting due to lack of funds,” Gudyanga said.

“Using the $100 000 that we were allocated, our priority was to do an environmental impact assessment and put up boreholes on the land because it is a dry area, but the allocation is not enough.”

Finelat Engineering chief executive Ishmael Machiya, whose company is part of the biodiesel research project in the ministry, said they had a biodiesel plant in Mutoko that was already processing 7 000 litres of biodiesel per day.

“We have planted 490 different varieties of jatropha trees at Mutoko for research purposes. We also put up a small plant at Mutoko Centre with the help of Harare Polytechnic and Harare Institute of Technology students,” he said.

Nanotechnology director Chiedza Charles Maponga said the concept, which was designed to ensure Zimbabweans benefited from utilisation of their flora and fauna, should be embraced as the country had enough materials to come up with new inventions.

“We should be able to manufacture cars that are able to repair themselves when they are scrapped using nanotechnology, just as our skins are able to repair themselves after getting scratched. With nanotechnology, clothes can even wash themselves and we do not even have to take them to the dry cleaners,” Maponga said.

Verify Engineering chief executive officer Simbarashe Muringa also said high Zesa tariffs had militated against projects to convert coal to fuel to produce liquid and gaseous oxygen for use in the actual production of diesel, paraffin, as well as for use at mines.