C J Matembo, Senior Information Officer, SIRDC

The Minister of Education, Sport and Culture, Cde Aeneas Chigwedere, visited SIRDC on 16 February 2006 to get a clear understanding of the Science Laboratory and Teaching Equipment (SLATE) project and see how it can mitigate the equipment challenges being faced by schools in the teaching of science. Cde Chigwedere was accompanied by two high ranking officials in his Ministry: Mr Sylvester Matshaka who is the Deputy Director (Sport and Culture) and Mr Beavan Marima, the Education Officer for Mathematics and Science.

Welcoming Minister Chigwedere, SIRDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and SIRTECH’s interim CEO, Dr Robson Mafoti said that the education sector should be supported since it is the cornerstone for national development. He said that the Centre’s focus was carrying out applied research with positive impact on the economy.

Dr Xavier Carelse, the General Manager of SIRTECH’s SLATE Division, presented the SLATE project to Minister Chigwedere and his team. Sirtech Investments is a joint venture company between SIRDC and FINTRUST.

The SLATE project manufactures science teaching equipment including step variable power supplies, ammeters, voltmeters, thermometers and autoranging stop clocks. All the bench instruments are digital.

Dr Carelse appealed to Minister Chigwedere to put his full weight on RBZ to make available the foreign currency needed to import the 10% to 30% of the electronic/electrical components needed in the manufacturing process. The SLATE products, with 70% to 90% local content, are a major import substitution drive.

In his remarks, Minister Chigwedere said that his Ministry was desperate for an organization like SIRTECH as his schools had a critical shortage of laboratory equipment. He advised that the distribution channels exclude middlemen who in most cases fleece the schools of their meager financial resources.

Cde Chigwedere appealed to SIRDC to also develop sports equipment in support of sports development in the country. This would allow students to gain the necessary skills at an early age, he said. He added that almost all sports artifacts such as javelins, soccer balls, cricket bats and balls were imported.