Midlands State University (MSU) has decisively mapped its future, crafting the foundational framework for its new 2026-2030 Strategic Plan during a high-level Integrated Results Based Management Workshop.
The pivotal five-day session, held from the 16th to the 21st of November 2025 at Clevers Hotels and Resorts in Masvingo, assembled the University’s leadership with key national government bodies in a powerful convergence of vision and policy.
The workshop united the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. M. E. Mwamuka, Vice Chancellor Professor V. N. Muzvidziwa, university councillors, and members of senior management with representatives from the Office of the President and Cabinet, the Public Service Commission, the Corporate Governance Unit, and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development.
Their collective mission was to critically review the expiring 2021-2025 Strategic Plan and construct a more ambitious, results-oriented roadmap for the next five years aligned with the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2.
Setting the tone for the week, the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. M. E. Mwamuka, opened proceedings by underscoring the critical importance of stakeholder feedback in shaping a truly responsive strategic direction.
Her welcome remarks framed the collaborative ethos that would define the workshop, emphasising that the University’s path must be informed by the voices of those it serves.
This was immediately followed by a clear articulation of the workshop’s mission from the Registrar, Mr. T. Zishiri.
He enunciated the primary objectives: to produce the definitive Midlands State University 2026-2030 Strategic Plan and to formulate the accompanying Performance Contracts for the Vice Chancellor and the Chairperson of Council, firmly grounding the event in a results-based framework.
Vice Chancellor Professor V. N. Muzvidziwa then built upon this foundation, challenging senior management to a period of deep introspection.
He urged the team to critically assess past achievements and shortcomings while embracing the collaborative nature of strategic planning.
“Let us consider what our stakeholders say,” Professor Muzvidziwa stated, highlighting the role of social media in telling the university’s truth and galvanising a community of ambassadors.
“Ethical Leadership,” he affirmed, “will lead us to excellence.”
The university’s internal resolve was met with decisive guidance from national partners.
Mr. E. Musina of the Public Service Commission detailed key expectations for the strategic document, stressing its mandatory alignment with the NDS 2.
A representative from the Office of the President and Cabinet delivered a powerful charge, asserting that public support is earned through demonstrable results.
He directed that the plan must be data-driven, implementation-ready, and its success measured by a tangible impact on the quality of citizen life, all while adhering to the tenets of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act.
This fusion of internal ambition and national expectation crystallised into a sharp new strategic architecture.
The plan is now structured around three broad, dynamic programmes: Governance and Administration, Human Capital Development, and Research, Innovation and Industrialisation.
This focus, drawing from national priorities, will see the university concentrate on Science, Technology, Innovation, Digital, and Human Capital Development.
The process was richly informed by a comprehensive stakeholder engagement report presented by Dr. B. Taringa, which wove together feedback from staff, students, parents, alumni, and non-governmental organisations.
Bringing the workshop to a close, the Vice Chancellor issued a resounding call to action, declaring strategic planning an integral part of the institution’s culture.
He charged every member of senior management to take full ownership of the document, to run with its mandates, and to cascade its spirit throughout their respective units.
In her vote of thanks, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Industrialisation, Professor G. Mugumbate, commended all participants for an intensely productive workshop.
Her closing words affirmed a week of profound achievement, setting a bold and dynamic new trajectory for Midlands State University as it marches with purpose towards 2030.