Students Reject ‘Illiterate’ Muchinguri as Minister Of Education
18 December 2014
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The Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) has rejected the new Higher Education minister Oppah Muchinguri, saying she is not qualified to hold that post.
The development follows an uproar on Muchinguri’s qualifications after it was revealed she obtained a dodgy masters degree from the University of Zimbabwe whose lecturers have admitted to assisting ZANU PF politicians graduate with flying colours.
Makomborero Haruzivishe, the Zinasu spokesperson, told the Daily News that the appointment of Muchinguri to replace Olivia Muchena, who was sacked last week, was a retrogressive step.
“As Zinasu, we mourn the appointment of Oppah Muchinguri as the minister of Higher Education,” he said.
“This dubious appointment literally highlights the burial of higher educational system whose massacre we witnessed with pain a few months ago with the equally dubious distribution of dubious doctorates.”
Haruzivishe further accused the government of deliberately running down universities and colleges.
“As Zinasu, we are strongly against the current trend of perpetuation of mediocrity which is resulting in the depreciation of our educational standards in Zimbabwe. “This perpetuation has been embodied in the doctoring of doctorates for academically shy political individuals and now the appointment of Muchinguri who neither  knows the basic concepts of appreciating modern day academic and educational systems nor can help pioneer the development of our higher educational system to spearhead socio-economic revival,” Haruzivishe said.
Although Muchinguri does not hold a doctorate, she holds a masters degree from the University of Zimbabwe.
Haruzivishe said government is not committed to improving the standards of education and welfare of students.
“As Zinasu, we have now come to terms with the fact that our government is totally not committed to our welfare and as such is doing all it can to sabotage us,” he said.
“The appointment of Muchinguri to the post of minister of Higher Education should not have been treated as just a mere seat filling exercise for our universities.
“It requires a real academic with the requisite acumen to revolutionise our educational system and spearhead its growth for the sustainable development of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Thus an academic is required not a baby sitter.”
The Zinasu spokesperson said the students’ body is holding a meeting this week to chart a way forward following the appointment of Muchinguri.
“We denounce this irresponsible appointment in the strongest possible terms and we are to hold our general council meeting this week to come up with a clear way-forward to make our government wake up from this deep slumber they are in and view academics and education with a more responsible eye,” he said. – Daily News/Additional Reporting

8 Replies to “Students Reject ‘Illiterate’ Muchinguri as Minister Of Education”

  1. Knowledge does not come from God. Knowledge comes from studying. Wisdom is what comes from God. God instructs people to study. That is why the Apostle Paul although he was not close to Jesus, he was entrusted to write bigger portions of the Bible. Paul was an academic who had studied Judaism at the feet of Gamaliel (Prof). So one must study. Especially those who are christians. Don’t be lazy to study. Others are studying so you must study.

  2. Knowledge comes from God The Lord Jesus Christ and one may have 10 genuine degrees and still knows nothing like you people. You don’t need to have a degree to lead but only knowledge and Blessings from The Lord God Jesus Christ Our Father only. Muchinguri has got such Blessings from The Lord and will lead and she is leading…. AMEN Messenger Of God

  3. Knowledge comes from God The Lord Jesus Christ and one may have 10 genuine degrees and still knows nothing like you people. You don’t need to have a degree to lead but only knowledge and Blessings from The Lord God Jesus Christ Our Father only. Muchinguri has got such Blessings from The Lord and will lead and she is leading. AMEN Messenger Of God

  4. Knowledge comes from God The Lord Jesus Christ and one many have 10 genuine degrees and still knows nothing like you people. You don’t need to have a degree to lead but only knowledge and Blessings from The Lord God Jesus Christ Our Father only. Muchinguri has got such Blessings from The Lord. AMEN. Messenger Of God

  5. thus y ZANU PF is a failure its a bunch of useless and undereducated standard three kind of pple who obtained their certificate by force. They can appoint the Chinotimbas kind of pple to hold any ministry whether the person knows anything or not.
    I was shocked to note that Joice was appointed a minister when she didn’t even have a form certificate.
    Thus pathetic.

  6. @Mgagao. You know nothing about higher education. Minister Muchinguri is not qualified to run such a ministry. Higher education is about producing new knowledge, what you call research, and is a very specialised process which needs people who know research and higher education principles and management. It is pretty much like Health. You cannoy appoint a non-health practitioner to run that Ministry. You cannot hide behind the fact that Ministers operate at policy level and hence need not be technical people. Our economy and where we are, we need people who know in detail what is happening on the ground, and then formulate policies based on intimate knowledge. So appointing Oppah Muchinguri is totally wrong in my view. Remember her comments about Mugabe marking his wife’s thesis. It betrayed her lack of knowledge about higher education. We need someone with a PhD and some research disposition and perhaps education management experience. I support Zinasu in questioning her appointment to this ministry.

  7. Cde Muchinguri is educated and qualified for that job! The ZINASU little cheap politicians dont understand the role of a government minister to oversee policy issues , not technical mattters. This is cheap and shallow politics

  8. It shows that you reporters just write without research or you are just against Muchinguri ….. Check your facts and you might be able to advise zinasu accordingly !!

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