Midlands State University’s executive and senior leadership convened at Clever Lakeview Resort, Masvingo, from 30 June to 1 July 2025 for a dynamic mid-year Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM) workshop, blending rigorous performance review with bold calls for transformative leadership.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Victor Ngonidzashe Muzvidziwa set an uncompromising tone for the deliberations, declaring, “When there is no well-defined and visible leadership, things collapse—and that is proof of weak governance. We must be stewards of accountability, not bottlenecks to progress.”
This rallying cry framed two days of incisive analysis as the University measured its 2025 trajectory against the twin pillars of Policy & Administration and Human Capital Development & Innovation, underpinned by six strategic sub-programmes.
The workshop celebrated milestones—including a sterling 4.2 performance rating for 2024 and the successful launch of Silver Jubilee celebrations—but refused complacency.
The University Registrar, Mr. Tinashe Zishiri amplified the Vice Chancellor’s call, stressing that “teamwork must transcend rhetoric to lift student satisfaction beyond the current rating of 80%,” while presentations dissected outputs from gender-balanced enrolments to a surge in STEM graduates and intellectual property filings.
Yet the gathering equally confronted hard truths such as third-stream income gaps.
Professor Muzvidziwa’s closing remarks crystallised the resolve, urging Senate to online learning pilots while demanding “evidence-based interventions” for disability inclusion and swifter international grant mobilisation.
Pro-Vice Chancellor – Academic Affairs and Administration, Professor Mcebisi Maphosa’s vote of thanks commended Acting Director – Performance Contracting and Compliance, Mr. Joel Gono’s meticulous orchestration of the workshop, applauded principal officers for their strategic guidance, and recognised presenters and participants for their robust engagement.
Yet his sharper charge cut through the applause: “This clarity must cascade beyond this room—every lecturer, every administrator, every staff member must own these priorities as if the University’s future depends on it. Because it does.”
As delegates departed, the echo of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s admonition—“The only limit to our realisation of tomorrow will be our doubts of today”—merged with the Vice Chancellor’s parting mantra: “Team MSU, together we can.”
The message was unambiguous: targets are not mere metrics but covenants with stakeholders, and the second half of 2025 must convert scrutiny into sustained impact.