The First lady who is currently studying for her doctor of philosophy degree with Midlands State University was part of a group of about 100 hundred PhD students and supervisors who took part in the workshop. Having attained her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and graduated in 2008 from Midlands State University, Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa, is no stranger to the University.

The one-day workshop gave participants an opportunity to discuss issues such as research integrity in higher education and the academic supervisor’s role in promoting good research practices in students’ research among others.

Addressing workshop participants, the MSU Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research and Academic Affairs, Professor Doreen Moyo noted that while increased research activity and competition for funding may in some cases result in dishonest and fraudulent practices, as a research driven institution, Midlands State University was committed to the implementation of research ethics. Professor Moyo also outlined the importance of observing research ethics saying that, ‘high ranked journals have made it mandatory for all submitted research manuscripts to demonstrate that the research was done ethically and that grant funders also have the same requirements when it comes to research grant applications.’

The workshop ended with a certification ceremony that saw participants being awarded certificates of attendance.

Speaking on the sidelines of the workshop, during a courtesy call on the University Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor V N Muzvidziwa, the First Lady commended the University for its efforts, in advancing national aspirations through the production of innovative graduates. She also urged the University to take advantage of the new dispensation to ensure growth and development of the institution.

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The commemorations, which ran under the theme ‘Professional Social Work, Community and Environmental Sustainability’ begun with a march from Harare Town House to the School of Social Work and brought together social work students from Midlands State University, Bindura University of Science Education, University of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University as well as social work practitioners from various organisations and government departments such as the Council for Social Workers, UNICEF and Department of Social Welfare among others.

In a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Dean of Social Sciences, Dr Z E Mugari, the MSU Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor V N Muzvidziwa underscored the importance of social work in promoting sustainable community development.

‘… As part of promoting community sustainability, social work is strategically placed to play a key role in advancing sustainable solutions to eradicate poverty and create pathways to development and empowerment. The knowledge base of social work can be utilized to permanently lift the poor out of the poverty trap’, said Professor Muzvidziwa.

Delivering a presentation in line with the theme, the guest speaker, Professor Makhubele from the University of Limpopo in South Africa, also stressed the need for social work practitioners to champion and provide solutions, methods and interventions that address social challenges in a manner that is environmentally sustainable.

Among those who attended the event were NASW-Z president, Mr C Mupangani and the Director of Social Welfare, Mr S Soko. Performances from the MSU Music Business, Musicology and Technology Band kept the crowd entertained throughout the celebrations with their scintillating tunes and renditions.

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The Moot Team comprising two undergraduate students, Edward Madziwa and Conrad Nyathi came second, narrowly losing to the University of Pretoria in the final of the competition which was held in the Supreme Court of Zambia. Two serving judges and a retired judge presided over the final.

To cap an exceptional performance, the Team also came first in the Heads of Argument category, in addition to Conrad Nyathi also winning the competition’s Best Oralist award. The students shared $1050 in prize money for these various awards.

Commenting on the team’s performance the Executive Dean of Law, Dr G. Manyatera, applauded the team and attributed their success to the University’s sound curriculum.

‘These remarkable achievements that we are increasingly witnessing in the various competitions that our students participate in are a reflection of our curriculum which is underpinned by effective clinical teaching methodologies. In the global village we live in, it is imperative for us as legal educators to produce legal minds capable of adapting to the exigencies of both municipal and international law,’ said Dr Manyatera

The inaugural edition of the WHO FCTC moot court competition focused on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The moot problem centred on the right to development as well as balancing the right to health and the right to employment.

On behalf of the entire University Community, we say well done, Congratulations, Makorokoto, Amhlophe!

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Speaking during Yafm 91.8’s inaugural Great Dyke Career Day at Gresham Park, in Zvishavane, on the 23^rd of March 2018, where Midlands State University and 9 other universities as well as technical colleges were exhibiting, Professor Murwira said, universities should not be fixated with producing graduands with attractive transcripts but should instead focus their efforts on producing competent graduands who have knowledge that can be transformed into goods and services.

‘We need a reorientation philosophy of the knowledge and people we have. That is, we have to adopt the blue ocean strategy, our innovation has to be hinged on our heritage which is the locally based resources as our comparative advantage. This is the drive we want in our education system, education that is rooted in our heritage, education that is rooted in the resources we have. So universities should focus on education that matters to us’, he said.

The Minister also called on universities, to desist from the red ocean strategic approach to education because the competition model does not work as they will always be a better player in field but with resource based innovation there is always a comparative advantage.

Professor Murwira reiterated the need for Zimbabwe to pull itself from the poverty mentality because the nation’s environment is rich.

He went on to say, ‘industries do not just mushroom, but they originate in the brain. We want knowledge that is transformative. Knowledge that cannot be transformed into goods and services is not knowledge at all’.

The career day ran under the theme; ‘Unleashing the potential of the great dyke through education, which is in line with Zimbabwe’s modernisation and industrialisation agenda.

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The award is in recognition of the institution’s unwavering commitment to the provision of excellent service delivery to its stakeholders through an innovative and integrated information management system. The system has eased the way of doing business with the University as prospective students are able to apply and register online. Its integration with financial institutions allows students to pay tuition fees through any linked financial institution and the payments are captured in real time and automatically updated on the student’s e-learning account. Its Information Management System, popularly known as Changamire introduced a radio-frequency identification (RFID) access control system, which allows only bonafide students to access University resources. The RFID student cards (gold cards), have seen students accessing a host of services that include library facilities, e-resources and other learning materials from anywhere in the world, examination results, application and allocation of students accommodation as well as canteen services.

As the University continues to invest and promote the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), great strides have been made to promote economic use of resources by ensuring that University services including access to WiFi are restricted to bonafide staff and students.

In his keynote address, the Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Terence Mukupe, implored the business community and government institutions to take advantage of the new dispensation to utilize the opportunities that are opening up in the ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ campaign. He further challenged universities and research institutions to invest in research and development and come up with projects that can be commercialized.

Speaking after receiving the award, the MSU Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor V N Muzvidziwa expressed gratitude on behalf of the University for such recognition. ‘We are extremely thrilled by this award and it energizes us to be more innovative in our service delivery. We always strive to satisfy our stakeholders particularly, the students. Our vision is to produce relevant and holistic graduates who are determined to contribute to socio-economic development as entrepreneurs,’ he noted.

Several organizations were honoured for demonstrating innovation in various categories. Among the institutions that received awards were Steward Bank, Trauma Centre, Pote Hill Hotel in the Financial Services, Health and Hospitality categories respectively.

Among those who attended the conference were representatives from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, ZimTrade Chairman, Mr Lance Jena, Confederation of Zimbabwean Industries Chief Executive Officer, Dr Anxious Masuka, The MSU Bursar, Mr A Zvandasara was also among delegates who attended the summit.

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At its inception, the University’s master plan included a model Chapel but regrettably, its construction had been derailed by a multiplicity of challenges emanating from the harsh effects of an unfavourable macroeconomic environment as well as competing obligations such as student accommodation. Hence, the inaugural service was a significant milestone which shall be forever etched in the annals of the institution’s history.

In his welcome remarks, MSU Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor V.N Muzvidziwa expressed joy at being a part of the historic service, in the long awaited chapel. “The analogy of the Lord himself moving about in a tent and in a tabernacle is mirrored in the fact that our students have used unsuitable facilities such as common rooms and lecture rooms to worship and develop their spirituality during most evenings and weekends. It has been quite disheartening to see our students whom we regard as the single most important component of our community using these unsuitable venues for such a noble cause. We are delighted that the Chapel is now going to serve as an open house of prayer or quiet contemplation at any given time,” said Professor Muzvidziwa.

The construction of the chapel is in line with the University’s vision and core values which seek to produce a relevant and holistic graduate who upholds the principles of honesty, integrity, accountability and compassion for others.

University Chaplain, Dr Reverend Mpofu could not hide his joy when he delivered his first sermon in the House of the Lord. He made reference to the book of 2 Samuel Chapter 7 verse 5, in which the Lord pleads for the construction of His dwelling place. In that regard, Rev Mpofu noted that the Chapel provided the appropriate ambience for reflection for people of all faiths or denominations. Accordingly, he implored the University community to use the chapel for its intended purposes.

The event was punctuated by praise and worship sessions with church choirs from various denominations taking turns to sing devotional hymns. The church service ended with a prayer session that was composed of three main prayer petitions. The first petition was to commit the 2018 MSU academic year and University leadership to the Lord as well as to ask for peace and tranquillity, and was led by Reverend Sithole from the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe.

Pastor Sibanda from the Seventh Day Adventist Church prayed for good health amongst students, staff and family members whilst Reverend V. Mhlanga from the United Church of Christ also led a prayer session for covering new partners and continued financial resources for students.

The service was attended by members of the University community among them, the University’s leadership, students, staff and pastors from various churches.

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The University prides itself as a stakeholder-driven institution and, true to its word, it occasionally creates platforms for informal interactions with its stakeholders so as to get insightful feedback on its operations and products, namely, graduates. As such, golf tournaments create an opportunity for the University to interact and network with the corporate world which is key to the success of the University. It is through such engagements that strategic partnerships are initiated. Given that business executives from Industry and Commerce are the point persons for evaluating the quality of our graduates, it is, therefore, through casual discussions whilst on the golf course that crucial input and feedback is received. The feedback subsequently assists in improving our service delivery and developing demand-driven academic programmes.

Speaking at the prize giving ceremony, the MSU Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor V N Muzvidziwa, reiterated the seriousness with which the institution values its stakeholders. “In all our undertakings as a University, we acknowledge the vital contribution of our stakeholders and rely on your unparalleled support in order for us to succeed said Prof Muzvidziwa.

The Acting Vice Chancellor also informed stakeholders that two faculties, namely, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Natural Resources Management and Agriculture would relocate to MSU’s new campus in Kwekwe, where the University’s Projects Department has already begun to construct the requisite physical infrastructure. He highlighted that the University would need support of its valued stakeholders for the full establishment of the new campus.

CBZ Bank executives also took advantage of the exclusive sponsorship to market their new products during the prize giving ceremony.

Winners of the day walked away  with quality prizes for their efforts. The prize giving ceremony was capped with a braai and entertainment. The participants were kept on their toes as they were treated to music and energy-filled performances from the University’s Music Business, Musicology and Technology Band. The music band lived up to its expectations and left golfers calling for more entertainment. Special thanks goes to CBZ for the full sponsorship of the tournament. MSU organizing team did not disappoint as the event was well organized.

Working together with the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the Judicial Services Commission, the Law Society of Zimbabwe, Legal non-governmental organizations, donors and Midlands State University, TRACE identified a number of challenges in improving access to justice in Zimbabwe, which include among others, lack of affordable and inclusive legal access, reliance on unofficial paralegals and lack of formal training among paralegals.

Having satisfied the University requirements to offer the diploma programme in partnership with the Transparency, Responsiveness, Accountability and Citizen Engagement (TRACE), the Faculty of Law enrolled the first intake of 28 students on the 24th of July 2017. TRACE is a DFID-led multi donor programme in partnership with the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland which aims to promote human rights and equality, access to justice for the marginalised and transparency and citizen engagement in the use of public resources.  The 18-month diploma, which is a specialised programme for stakeholders in the justice delivery system, focuses on enhancing the competencies of life-long learners who are already employed in various organizations that offer legal aid to the most vulnerable members of the society. The launch falls very much in line with the Ministry of Justice and Legal Parliamentary Affairs’ mission which seeks to promote an effective and efficient justice delivery system in Zimbabwe.

In his opening remarks, the MSU Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor V N Muzvidziwa, underscored the objectives of the Diploma, which was consolidated after wide consultations with stakeholders in the justice delivery system, following which an Advisory Board was set up to bridge the gap between the curriculum and stakeholder needs. “The Diploma seeks to improve access to justice by training a pool of paralegals with requisite skills and knowledge in paralegal work as well as enhance efficiency in the justice delivery system through specialized training for courts’ Help-Desk personnel, Government departments and civil society practitioners. Additionally, it also provides basic legal knowledge to other professionals who have an interest in the law. The Diploma seeks to identify contemporary issues and apply research skills to solve problems in their specialized fields and to consolidate and formalize paralegal education training in Zimbabwe as a basis for further legal education.” said Professor Muzvidziwa.

Speaking at the same occasion, the Guest of Honour, the Minister of Justice and Legal Parliamentary Affairs, Honorable Ziyambi Ziyambi, commended TRACE and MSU for successfully launching the critical programme that plugs the gap that has been in the legal system. “My Ministry is pleased that the Faculty of Law at Midlands State University in partnership with TRACE has taken the first initiative to fill the gap created by the lack of formal qualification through offering a Diploma in Paralegal Studies. It is therefore our hope as a Ministry that the Diploma programme will produce a cadre that will augment access to justice for our citizens, particularly women, children, persons with disabilities, the poor, and other vulnerable, and marginalized groups.”

The launch was graced by TRACE representative, Mrs Annabel Gerry, representative of Ambassadors of the partnering countries, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Her Excellency, Mrs Barbara Van Hellenmond, the Deputy Chairperson of the Advisory Board, Mrs Abigal Matsayi, Advisory Board members, MSU Pro Vice Chancellor Research and Academic Affairs, Professor D Z Moyo, the MSU founding Vice Chancellor, Professor Emeritus N M Bhebe, senior people from the legal fraternity who included the Secretary for the Judicial Services Commission, Mr Walter Chikwanha, Justice Custom Kachambwa, MSU Principal of Officers, the Executive Dean of Law, Dr G Manyatera, members of staff from the Law Faculty as well as the first cohort of students who enrolled for the Diploma programme among other members of the University Community.

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