Blessing Nduku
THE Chancellor of the Midlands State University (MSU), President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday officially commissioned the newly established ED Mnangagwa School of Law at Midlands State University (MSU) and capped 6,849 graduates during the institution’s 26th graduation ceremony in Kwekwe.
The event marked a significant milestone in Zimbabwe’s higher education sector, with the law school named in honour of the President’s contributions to legal and constitutional development in the country.
The graduation ceremony was held under the theme, “Impacting Society through Commercialisation of Research and Innovation Outputs.
Out of the 6849 students who graduated, 6618 were undergraduates and post-graduates, while 22 were DPhil and MPhil graduands, and 209 graduated with postgraduate diplomas.
Fifty-four percent of the graduands were female, while 46 percent were male.
Among those capped by President Mnangagwa was Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix Tapiwa Mhona, who graduated with a Masters of Law Degree in Constitutional and Human Rights Law.
The commissioned law school houses moot courts, lecture theatres, seminar rooms, tutorial rooms, a legal aid clinic, a library, computer laboratories, and staff offices, in keeping with global standards.
Apart from the Faculty of Law, the Kwekwe campus will also house the Faculty of Agriculture, Environmental and Natural Resources Management, and the Faculty of Built Environment, Art and Design.
The double-storey facility was built on a 50-hectare piece of land donated by Kwekwe City Council.
President Mnangagwa said that law is a tool for development and the backbone of Zimbabwe’s governance system.
“It aids us as we safeguard our hard-won independence and sovereignty, while we also accelerate modernisation, industrialisation, and broad-based economic growth that leaves no one and no place behind.”
President Mnangagwa said the Faculty of Law has already made a mark on the regional and international stage, having excelled in moot court competitions.
He said the facility must entrench a culture of service among law students, ensuring that by the time they graduate, they have a strong sense of patriotism, volunteerism, and duty to society.
The establishment of this law school is not merely about producing lawyers. It is about producing problem-solvers, ethical leaders, and patriots who will defend justice, protect the vulnerable, and build institutions that strengthen our democracy.
The President said affordable legal counsel must be accessible to all Zimbabweans, and it is pleasing that the E.D. Mnangagwa Law School has incorporated a legal aid clinic to serve surrounding communities.
He said the progress made with regard to Phase One of the Kwekwe Campus and the auxiliary infrastructure constructed to date demonstrates that education is not only a producer of knowledge but also a driver of economic growth.
“Since construction began in 2022, the project has created employment opportunities for surrounding communities, including builders, carpenters, steel fixers, and site officers,” he said.
President Mnangagwa added that the participation of polytechnics in infrastructure development projects within higher and tertiary education is a testament to the success of Heritage-Based Education 5.0.
“This model is equipping our young people with skills to produce goods and services that meet the needs of society. The President said he was deeply humbled by the decision of the University Council, Senate, and management to name the law school in his honour.
I receive this recognition not as a personal accolade, but as a tribute to the collective sacrifices of the many sons and daughters of our soil who waged the protracted liberation struggle so that Zimbabweans can be independent, free people and masters of our own destiny.”
The commissioning of the ED Mnangagwa School of Law and the capping of 6,849 graduates underscored the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality education and strengthening Zimbabwe’s human capital. As the new law school opens its doors, it is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping future legal minds and advancing justice in the country.
