Research, development way to go: VP

Source: Research, development way to go: VP | The Herald

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga

Herald Reporter

Research and development institutions will continue to be supported to get top-of-the-range equipment as Government seeks to create an ideal environment to create a knowledge-driven economy, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has said.

He recently said this in a speech read on his behalf by Permanent Secretary in his office, Mr Godfrey Chanakira, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ) office complex in Harare.

“May I point out that this occasion is also a fulfilment of the pledge by the Government to equip training, research and development institutions with state-of-the-art infrastructure,” said VP Chiwenga.

“Such strategies create an ideal environment for the development of a knowledge-driven economy, which yields sustained growth, industrialisation and modernisation of Zimbabwe.”

President Mnangagwa’s administration believes research is critical in transforming the country.

Further, the Government has focused on creating and capacitating innovation hubs at tertiary institutions, as which play an important role in research development.

Equipped with such infrastructure, tertiary institutions have stepped up to the plate and manufactured equipment that was used to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.

VP Chiwenga said the construction of the office complex will undoubtedly provide a conducive environment for the Research Council of Zimbabwe Secretariat to fulfil its mandate of promoting, directing, supervising and coordinating research that enhances development across all sectors of the economy.

He added that the construction of the Research Council of Zimbabwe office complex blended well with the innovation, science and technology development agenda.

“Therefore, I would like to applaud the board for instituting the infrastructure development committee to spearhead the construction of the office complex to its completion,” said VP Chiwenga.

He also said the construction of the complex would not have been possible had it not been for the commitment of the Second Republic, led by President Mnangagwa, who has soft spot for creativity, innovation, research and development.

“The Second Republic has since adopted a policy to avail one percent of the total Gross Domestic Product towards research and development, thereby providing an enabling environment for innovation towards an industrialised and modernised economy,” he said.