By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
The Zimbabwean government plans to raise salaries for university lecturers to curb the ongoing brain drain and retain skilled educators in the country.
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Frederick Shava, announced the prposed plsn during a meeting with Vice Chancellors from both public and private universities on Monday.
Shava confirmed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who serves as the Chancellor of all state universities, has agreed to adjust lecturers’ salaries to align with the standards set by the Southern African Development Community (SADC). However, no specific timeline for the salary increases has been provided.
“His Excellency, the President, agreed to gravitate our salaries to the regional guide,” Shava noted.
In addition to the salary hike, the minister revealed plans to commercialize student innovations across universities this year, in a bid to enhance the nation’s educational environment.
He also stressed the need for universities to boost enrollment in science and engineering programs to address the significant skills gap in Zimbabwe.
“We have such a wide skills gap. The universities must focus on narrowing this gap,” Shava emphasized, underscoring the importance of expanding these critical fields of study.
For years, university lecturers in Zimbabwe have been among the least paid professionals in the country, facing a dreadful disparity in compensation.
The brain drain has seen many of the country’s top academic talent emigrating to other countries in search of better pay and conditions.
However, with the recent government announcement, hopes are high that the news will curb the brain drain and encourage more lecturers to remain in the country.