By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) has come under heavy criticism after it announced the hiring of temporary lecturers at minimal wages amid a protracted strike by full-time academic staff demanding better pay and working conditions.
A recent letter from Simba Matsika, the university’s Human Capital Management officer, confirmed that adjunct lecturers would be employed at rates as low as US$2.20 per hour, payable in Zimbabwe Gold (ZIG) currency.
The compensation structure allocates 60 percent of hours at US$3.30 per hour and 40 percent at US$2.20 per hour, covering all teaching-related responsibilities, including lecture preparation and exam grading.
The three-month contracts, effective from May 20 to August 20, can be terminated with only two weeks’ notice. The move has sparked outrage among university staff and students, especially as it occurs during a legal strike by lecturers seeking a monthly salary of US$2,250 more than ten times their current pay of less than US$250.
The Association of University Teachers (AUT), representing the striking professors, condemned the university’s approach, describing it as “shameful exploitation.” AUT accused the administration of “systemic wage theft” and warned that hiring replacement staff during a lawful strike breaches Zimbabwean labour law, specifically Section 108, Subsection 5.
Questions have also been raised about the qualifications of the newly hired adjuncts. AUT highlighted that only three out of ten hold postgraduate qualifications, with one having earned a PhD in divinity just weeks ago, raising concerns about the quality of education during this period.
Despite the controversy, the university’s internal memo indicated that classes would resume on Wednesday, urging departments to submit names of willing lecturers and coordinate with Human Capital Management to fill staffing gaps with adjuncts. This move has been interpreted by AUT as a deliberate attempt to undermine the ongoing strike.
Meanwhile, the university’s student body, through the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), has called for a return to normalcy, with SRC president Tendayi Victor Mushayi encouraging students to attend lectures and resume their studies.
However, AUT insists that genuine academic progress cannot be achieved until lecturers’ demands are met, emphasizing that the current low wages are a barrier to quality education. The union maintains that no classes should proceed until the university addresses the pay dispute.
Adding to the tension, AUT criticized UZ’s recent Research and Innovation Week, claiming it was poorly attended and that the university is prioritizing superficial events over substantive issues like staff welfare.
The union reaffirmed on social media that “there are no classes that will start at UZ for as long as lecturers’ demands are unmet,” signaling ongoing resistance to the university’s current hiring practices and insensitivity to the plight of the regular lecturers. .