A Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ) delegation led by the Acting Executive Director, Dr Timothy Marango visited the Midlands State University’s Zvishavane Campus on the 13th of October 2021 on a familiarisation, monitoring and evaluation tour of a research project that the Council is funding.
The research project is being carried out by the University’s Metallurgical and Materials Engineering team in collaboration with the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST). The project seeks to develop nano-engineered flotation reagents from macadamia nut shells found in abundance in Chipinge to solve a flotation reagents problem in the Zimbabwean and Botswana mining sectors.
The two countries previously imported flotation reagents and this project is expected to save the two Southern African economies since this project will produce the reagents using locally available agricultural waste.
The project is funded by the Research Council of Zimbabwe and the Botswana Innovation Hub to the tune of US$ 30 000 and 500 000 Pula respectively.
Dr Timothy Marango commended the MSU research team led by the project’s Principal Investigator, Mr Tatenda Crispen Madzokere for coming up with a solution that will ease the burden on limited foreign currency reserves.
“The purpose of this visit is not for monitoring and evaluation, but we came to appreciate the project, to see the people running the project in person, network and develop trust.
“Research Council of Zimbabwe has a long-standing relationship with the Midlands State University. We sponsored this research, the Coal Tar research project and we are currently financing COVID-19 research being done by MSU and some South African partners. RCZ will continue funding research that speaks to the vision and aspirations of the country for improved goods and services” he said.
Acting MSU-Zvishavane Campus Director, Dr Athony Mamuse thanked the RCZ for its sustained support of research projects undertaken by the institution.
“We are a research-intensive institution and our best friends are those involved in research in one way or another.
“I am very happy that we are leveraging our relationship with you so that the University maintains its status as a research-intensive institution,” said Dr Mamuse.
Run within the Office of the President and Cabinet, the RCZ is mandated to promote, supervise and coordinate research efforts as well as advise the Cabinet on research areas that promote sustainable national development.
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