ZANZIBAR: Minister volunteers to teach part-time

BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER

26th December 2012

Haroun Ali Suleiman

Zanzibar Minister for Labour, Economic Empowerment and Cooperatives Haroun Ali Suleiman has said he will be taking time off to teach in efforts to curb the shortage of lecturers at the State University of Zanzibar.

He made the remarks yesterday at a brief ceremony to hand him a certificate of excellence by the SUZA board after he fulfilled Zanzibar’s dream of having its own state university.

He said even though he was a minister, he had decided to dedicate part of his time to teaching at SUZA in a bid to curb the  shortage of lecturers there, all in a bid to speed up the  development of Zanzibar.

He said he would start doing so next year, adding that he had already communicated with the university management about the matter. “I've decided to go back and teach even though I continue to serve as a minister," he said during the function held at Makunduchi, in Unguja South region.

He said the idea to establish a state university in the Isles took root during the administration of Dr Salmin Amour in 1999, was advanced by Amani  Abeid Karume's government when he  was minister of  education in 2001.

He said during the university's establishment, the opposition Civic United Front (CUF), had scorned the idea, saying it was politically motivated.

Haroun said the government will not despair in its efforts to improve the life standards of its people.

He said this year SUZA managed to move into their own  structures at Tunguu, a project that cost a total of US dollars  8 million, being a loan from BADEA bank in collaboration with Zanzibar government funding.

However, he criticised the design of the structures because it  did not take into consideration the needs of people with disability, calling for rectification to make them more friendly to that  segment of society.

He said SUZA started under very difficult conditions, including  conducting its affairs in rented structures, but now fruits were  beginning to be seen because the costs of sending Zanzibar youths to study abroad were being cut.

Haroun said the presence of two more privately owned universities had greatedly supported the strategy of the Zanzibar government to reduce poverty and enhance economic growth.

He said since the establishment of the univeristies, shortage  of skills had been going down, calling on youths completing  their law studies and other professions to target self- employment instead of depending on government employment alone.

Earlier, SUZA Deputy Vice-Chancellor Haji Mwevule said  the university had decided to award the minister in recognition of his contribution to the establishment of the university.
He said the success achieved resulted from his dedication when he was minister for education, before he was shifted to  his new portifolio in 2010.

Before he became minister, Haroun held different positions including being a teacher, director of planning and deputy  permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN