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By Lebo Nkatazo

THE Zimbabwe government is making frantic attempts to recruit Chinese lecturers following a mass exodus of academic staff at the institution of higher learning.

A communication from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) pro vice chancellor Levi Nyagura to the office of the Minister of Higher Education reveals that he went to China in November last year in an attempt to engage Chinese lecturers to replace local ones, but was not successful.

“We had problems engaging Chinese lecturers and this posses some problems ahead of our opening in the last week of February,” Nyagura wrote.

The pro-vice chancellor added that the main problem was that the Chinese wanted to be paid in foreign currency.

A UZ lecturer who spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday blamed poor remuneration and working environment as well as the suppression of academic freedoms as some of the things behind the massive exodus of lectures.

“The university is now employing greenhorns. Those who are wet behind the ears. The university is being turned into a polytechnic,” said the lecturer.

He added that for the past two years, lecturers have not be able to go on “contact leave” where they would be attached to a regional or international university, a requirement after every three years of service.

He added that although he could not give exact figures the situation had reached alarming levels as the quality of lecturers at the institution was low, with the majority of stuff very inexperienced.

The lecturer added that although they were promised that they would be given a 231 percent pay rise -- also awarded to every civil servant -- they had been given 200 percent with promises of the other 31 percent not having been honored.

The lecturer added: “Even then, we are not civil servants and we should not be given 231 percent as we were not part of the negotiations. It has been a standing precedent that lecturers get 30 percent or more of what civil servants get but it's now being ignored,” he added.

“With a leadership style that can only be described as draconian, students are being expelled left, right and centre as authorities pander to the whims of those in power."

Last week there was unrest at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and other tertiary institutions triggered by a more than 100 percent hike in fees.
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