Bulawayo Polytechnic College

The correct name for the Polytechnic is Bulawayo Polytechnic, not Bulawayo Polytechnic College. Bulawayo Polytechnic is an academic institution established in 1927 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, initially as a technical school. The current main campus on Park Road in Suburbs was established in 1942. The Division of Art & Design is housed on George Silundika Street in the central business district.

The polytechnic provides a number of higher education qualifications. It has played host to exchange students from many countries including the United States and western Europe. It has two provides technical and vocational education for the nation.

It has been attempting to become a University College, but fell out of favour in preference to the establishment of the National University of Science and Technology; the National University of Science and Technology used Bulawayo Polytechnic facilities to get started.The Polytechnic is now offering two Bachelor of Technology degrees in Environmental Health as well as Water Resource Engineering in conjunction with NUST.

In 2001 Bulawayo Polytechnic produced a radical council led by vice-president Blessing Sibanda who took over as president after the suspension of Kwanisai Mafa who had allegedly misappropriated funds with Nkululeko Sibanda as Secretary General . This council took the Zimbabwean government to task over privatisation of accommodation issues which saw the withdrawal of many students. This was the first council from Bulawayo to challenge the Zimbabwean government which prompted the then minister of Higher Education to order their expulsion.

Although expelled from the College, Nkululeko Sibanda became the President of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU). He is the only person to lead ZINASU without being a university student. During his term of office, ZINASU won the International Student Peace Prize in Norway.

Blessing Vava, Students Union President 2006-7, was named the most exemplary student in 2006. The militant student leader led protests against high tuition fees and in support of students rights. This resulted in him being arrested on numerous occasions by the law enforcement agents in Zimbabwe, and he was subsequently denied registration to complete his studies. He is the spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Students Union.