Despite the financial crisis in Zimbabwe shown according to the continuously reported reports about it, the cash-strapped country’s government is already in plans of building a $1 billion University in the honor of the president, Mugabe.
Zimbabwe’s higher Education Minister has informed the press on Wednesday that the university is to be named “Robert Mugabe University”, named after the 93 year old president of Zimbabwe.
Sources have shown that the university will be built outside the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare, in Mazowe, with President Mugabe and Grace Mugabe being the founding trustees.
Jonathan Moyo, the Higher and Tertiary Education Minister said that the Robert Gabriel Mugabe University would focus on science and technology, and have an institute focusing on research and “transformative and revolutionary leadership.”
“Cabinet has approved a grant of $800 million towards the construction of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe University and a grant of $200 million towards the University Endowment Fund for research and innovation,” said Jonathan Moyo.
“There can be no better recognition of President Mugabe’s commitment to education and his exemplary leadership,” Moyo stated.
However, the opposition has quickly criticized the whole move and regarded it as a waste of resources. They have said that Mugabe’s government should instead improve the existing underfunded universities around the country.
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Mugabe’s main opposition party, has stated that students at state run universities and colleges struggle with lack of accommodation and infrastructure, but the government has never offered grants to help the struggling universities.
They also said that most graduates are forced to take informal jobs like hawking goods on the streets, and some have even moved out to the neighboring countries, seeking for employment, and still the government has never offered grants to help.
The opposition mentioned that the formal unemployment in Zimbabwe is above 90 percent.
Reports also depict that Zimbabwe struggles to pay its workers, has very little funds for roads, hospitals and education.
“This is populism that defies logic. It is meant to stroke Mugabe’s ego because we know this government is broke,” said Obert Gutu, MDC spokesman.
The university will join the other facilities named after Mugabe including, the government’s school of intelligence, a main street in the capital Harare and the high way to his rural home.
Reporter: Shamilah Namuddu
