THE Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) says it is failing to cope with the sharp demand for places from new students with the enrolment figures jumping from 4 000 in 2012 to 14 500 this year.
BY TATENDA CHITAGU
GZU pro-vice-chancellor, Andrew Chindanya made the remarks yesterday while receiving 100 litter bins and 2 000 fruit tree-seedlings donated by TelOne. He said most of the institution’s facilities had been overstretched by the huge students’ population.
“In 2012, we had 4 000 students; come 2018, we have over 14 500 students. That is exponential growth which means that our resources have been stretched, in some cases to almost breaking or bursting point, but we have not been daunted,” he said.
“We believed that as we walk our journey, we will attract partners that will help us walk that journey confidently and your presence here attests to that. We have that responsibility to impact on people’s lives. We urge TelOne not to tire in its efforts to ensure we get as much support from the corporate world. We will not tire as well.
“It has been impressed upon us of late that our role exceeds the previously traditional functions. We are now also expected to be creators of knowledge not dispensers of information; knowledge that is useful to society if it translates to solving existential problems that confronts our people. We do our best to live up to those demands.”
TelOne acting managing director, Joseph Machiva, said his organisation will continue to compliment GZU.
“We have already committed to funding the production of directional signage for all the campuses, a project that is almost complete. For 2018, Great Zimbabwe University will be our first stop.”
