By Delicious Mathuthu
Popular war veteran and Buhera South Member of Parliament, Cde Joseph Chinotimba, stole the limelight at the 2023 Mkoba Teachers College graduation ceremony where he made an appearance on Friday (21/07/2023) in Gweru.
Graduands, college staff, parents and guardians who graced the occasion to celebrate the completion of courses of hundreds of students, went into a frenzy as Cde Chinoz, as he is popularly known, was introduced by Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister, Hon. Raymore Machingura, as part of the delegates just before giving an official speech from his senior, Professor Amon Murwira.
“Members of Parliament who are in the Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development community and other honourable members here present, I would like to ask them to stand, I saw Hon. Chinotimba (who) is here,” Deputy Minister Machingura said before the auditorium became frantic for a few minutes as Cde Joseph Chinotimba stood up.
Several invited guests on stage, which included Teachers College, Polytechnic College and Training Centers Principals, Midlands State University Vice Chancellor, University of Zimbabwe representatives, among several others, took turns hugging and hand-shaking the Legislator like a celebrity while students and other delegates cheered.
“Thank you, Hon. Chinotimba with what happened here, I want you to allow me to say Hon. Chinotimba manyama.
“But Hon. please don’t report me to the Speaker (of Parliament) that I used unParliamentary language,” Hon. Machingura said jokingly.
Some graduands who spoke to Kwedu News said they were excited, happy and honoured to see and have the popular war veteran and politician amongst them.
“We were so surprised to see him. I have never seen him before in real life and was so, so happy to see him for the first time.
“I think you heard from the screaming, we felt so special,” one of the graduands, Thubelihle Mahlangu said.
“I was excited to see him, I was waiting for him to address us but yoo, they never gave him the mic.
“Anyways I was happy because it was my first time seeing him, people were so excited and screaming,” said another graduand, Gracious Moyo.
More than 2000 people gathered for the ceremony to witness the graduation of over 800 students with Diplomas in Primary and Secondary Education.
“I felt very honoured as a Teacher that someone who is highly recognised as a politician and well known, came to attend a Teachers’ graduation.
“Currently Teachers in the society are not seen as important but he had the time to come and celebrate with us.
“For me I felt very much honoured; I felt that Teaching is important to someone, and who is very appreciative of it,” said another graduand, Samantha Mudzingwa.
Guest speaker, who spoke on behalf of Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Prof. Amon Murwira, Hon. Machingura, said there is need for heritage based education where teachers and learners contribute to community development using the country’s natural resources.
He said graduands should be more focused on job creation by forming companies that will create markets for the profession in the economy.
“Government is deliberately implementing the graduate employment creation and development programme with emphasis on heritage based education 5.0.
“Through this programme, government expects colleges like this one, like all the other colleges whose Principals you have seen, they are expected to establish industries.
“We urge graduates to form companies, to register those companies and strive to gain market shares in the economy,” Hon. Machingura said.
The theme of the graduation ceremony was ‘Heritage based teacher education: The cornerstone for national development’.
The Hon. Deputy Minister said government’s education 5.0 programme is safe under Mkoba Teachers College administration and urged the college staff to remain focused in accomplishing the education ministry’s vision and serving the community.
To the graduands, Deputy Minister Machingura said they should be productive and provide solutions in their respective communities.
“We say makorokoto, amhlophe, congratulations. Be fountains of goods and services and provide solutions to the problems that communities face,” he said.
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