Mugabe to open Lupane admin block

Politics
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is expected to cap Lupane State University (LSU) graduands in the Matabeleland North provincial capital on November 22.

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is expected to cap Lupane State University (LSU) graduands in the Matabeleland North provincial capital on November 22. LUYANDUHLOBO MAKWATI OWN CORRESPONDENT

Mugabe, the chancellor of LSU, is also expected to preside over the official opening of the university’s administration block on the same day.

The administration block has been under construction for the past six years and the university’s public relations officer Zwelithini Dlamini said they had requested that Mugabe officially commission the building on graduation day, but were still waiting for a response from the ministry.

“As we speak, the building is complete and we sent our requests to our parent ministry asking them to get the building commissioned on the day of the graduation by His Excellency,” Dlamini said.

He added that the first phase of the university had been completed and it could accommodate various departments, especially those that fall under the Faculty of Agriculture.

“The first phase comprises the administration block and facilities ranging from lecture rooms and laboratories that can be used by departments that fall under the Faculty of Agriculture, are in place,” he said.

Lupane State University is being built in three phases and has entered into its second stage, focusing on construction of student accommodation.

The university is in the process of building two hostels to house both male and female students. The buildings are currently at roof level and likely to be completed in the first quarter of next year.

Soon after the construction of the hostels, the university will be expected to enter into the third phase, which includes building staff accommodation that must be completed by mid-2014 to allow for the relocation of the institution from Bulawayo to Lupane.

Dlamini said the university had started various programmes to mobilise resources to build staff accommodation.

LSU has been operating from Bulawayo since its inception because of the absence of infrastructure in the Matabeleland North administrative capital.