18 November 2008
THE country's oldest institution of higher education, the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), opened for the 2008/2009 academic year even though it is unable to admit students into the halls of residence because of the water crisis.
UZ's plight, however, is no different from the cholera outbreak in the townships of Harare that daily continues to claim lives. The case in which the UZ finds itself deserves the same response witnessed in the case of cholera in parts of Harare.
Last week the Reserve Bank responded to the cholera crisis that has claimed more than 100 lives by releasing additional financial resources, vehicles and fuel to enable an adequate government response to bring the outbreak of cholera under control and normalise water supplies.
By the middle of last week additional boreholes were being drilled in all suburbs of Harare and Chitungwiza in order to boost supplies of clean water to households, while more money was made available for the purchase of water treatment chemicals.
The UZ has a student population of more than 10 000 and the decision not to open the halls of residence followed an assessment by the City of Harare Department of Health that ruled there could be an outbreak of diseases if students were allowed back without renovations and repairs to the institution's dilapidated ablution facilities.
The government has been slow in attending to the renovations at the UZ. There is no need for another outbreak of disease at the institution for the government to spring into action and start shedding crocodile tears over the threat to and loss of lives.
If water is one of the causes that led to the closure of the halls of residence, why is there no similar determination to deploy drilling rigs to Mount Pleasant so that the institution is not left at the mercy of the hopelessly incompetent Zimbabwe National Water Authority?
And if the government protests that it has no resources, why doesn't Zanu PF hold its annual congress at the UZ, because there is never a shortage of resources to fund requirements of the ruling party. Hosting the Zanu PF December congress at the UZ would achieve two things in one go: The ruling party would have its annual feast-cum-talk show, while the university has renovations undertaken at no cost to the institution.
If the political leadership in this country is committed to quality education and to re-instating the UZ to its immediate-post independence glory, they will whole heartedly welcome this suggestion. Mashonaland Central can have its turn to host Zanu PF's congress next year after the pressing problems at UZ have been attended to.
Zanu PF cannot gather in Bindura and profess commitment to education in this country when they are neglecting the crisis at the UZ, a national institution that admits students from all corners of the country. The plight of those students, who have to contend with the rigours of academic assignments and off-campus accommodation that even people in full-time employment find challenging, deserves Zanu PF's urgent attention.
There are greater benefits that can accrue to a well-resourced UZ. In the early 1980s the institution used to attract students from the region and abroad. The country was generating additional foreign currency earnings, but more importantly was the enriching exchanges of students and staff and shared research programmes.
The plight of the UZ is just as compelling as that of the cholera- stricken areas of the country. Something must be done.
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