THE Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) said yesterday it was planning to build multi-million dollar hostels at Lupane State University under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to alleviate accommodation shortage for students.
The Lupane project follows a similar one underway at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Bulawayo where the bank and its private sector partners have invested US$20 million. Among its partners are Old Mutual, the Motoring Industry Pension Fund, Zimnat and the Catering Industry Pension Fund.
In an interview, IBDZ board chairman Kupikile Mlambo said the bank intended to replicate the NUST project at all tertiary institutions around the country, to offer adequate, cheaper and convenient accommodation to students.
Shortage of student accommodation at universities and colleges countrywide has led to landlords around the institutions to levy exorbitant rentals, and others to demand sex in lieu of cash.
“Our plan is to replicate such projects all over the country. Our next project from now will be at Lupane State University, then Kwekwe, Bindura, Mutare and so forth,” Mlambo said.
“Lessons have been learnt (at NUST), and we now want to replicate them in other parts of the country so that students in every part of this country (not only) have accommodation, but also (that which is) reasonable and affordable,” he said. At NUST, students would pay a monthly fee of US$100 for accommodation, about half what landlords in and around the university currently charge. —New Ziana