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30 Opinion

The Bachelor of Engineering (BEng.) has had many notable employees, students don’t know that they should
curriculum we followed at Fourah Bay Joshua Nkomo, late Vice President of clean up their area of work. All initiation Journey !!!
College, the first University in Africa, Zimbabwe, Sir Roy Welensky, last Prime at the Training Centre was complete we
South of the Sahara, was based on Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia progressed within the organization to
that of the University of London. The and Nyasaland, Sir Frank Edward Hough, become Chief Engineers. In my position,
topics included Drawing, Physics and former Chief Mechanical Engineer. The the Training Centre and several other
Mathematics (taught by two Catholic designation “Officer”, I later learned, departments fell under me. We still
Priests and one Egyptian Professor), arose from the tendency for the applied the same rigor and strictness
Thermodynamics, Strength of Materials, organization to employ military General that Mr Field taught us. I try and do this,
Fluid Mechanics, Electrical Networks. Managers, especially during times of to this day (however, I admit to have
Electronics and Communications, which crisis. This practice has continued to this become softer with age).
were my clear favourites, were towards day. Col. Henry Everard, OBE, was one of
the end of the curriculum. these General Managers. I got the sense What are Saying?
that Sir Everard had some followers in
First Year Students were accommodated the Training Centre. Super achievers like da Vinci and Edison
in former military barracks and on the operated before we became formerly
first night you learned what it was like The Railways had devised a two-year organized. During this process of being
to be dined upon by mosquitoes. There Training Program for us and the first part “organized” the more creative parts of
was therefore a very compelling reason of the training involved Metal Working our brain were narrowed. In designing
to pass the first year. Multi-discipline and Machining. We were placed under new curricula, let us remember that
programmes such as this however, Mr Field. After Safety Training we got to genius is the sum and embodiment of
pay off. At RIIC in Kanye they made our first task, which to file a brass cube the thinking about everything around
me in charge of the Power House, as into a perfect square. Our first thought us. You would think the engineer-
well wood and metal workshops. That was to resist. We were “Officers”. We geniuses that preceded us were thinking
in addition to my substantive title of complained to Training Centre Manager, outside the box; actually I believe, they
Research & Development Engineer. In saying that we were being abused, since were thinking without boxes. Today,
this article, I am making the proposition we were Electrical Engineers. He said we talk about Industry 4.0; others are
that we must now seriously embrace he would investigate. Soon enough, we already talking about Industry 5.0. No,
STEAM. realized what he meant by investigate. let’s think Industry X.0.

STEAM reminds of the National Mr Field told us that after filing the
Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), last cube into a sphere, we should file the
place in the world to have Steam resulting sphere back into a cube. It
Locomotives in commercial service. was not easy to satisfy Mr Field. After
The Rhodesia Railways (RR) preceded you thought you were done, he would
it. Before Botswana Railways (BR), come to measure the sphere is every
the RR ran the train from Bulawayo, direction with a micro millimeter
through Mahalapye to Mahikeng. I was calipers. Of course it was not easy to
interviewed for a position in the NRZ in satisfy Mr Field, also a former military
Newcastle, England by Merz & McLellan, man. He was the only machinist in the
engineers for the Kariba Hydro Power country hired by the National Parks to
Project. When asked which branch of make precision darts for immobilizing
Railways I preferred, I said “Signals”, elephants. You can imagine what would
because it was the most electronics and happen to the shooter if the dart failed
communications intensive branch. to immobilize the elephant. What else
did Mr Field teach us?
Bluntly, I was told there was no position engineerbw.com
there. I passed the interview easily He taught us that after working at a
and started off at the Railway Training bench, you must clean up. Further, Engineering news & articles.
Centre. We were called Trainee Officers. trainees must clean up the whole
The Railways of Rhodesia / Zimbabwe workshop. Officers, clean up! Today’s

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