The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) has begun replacing its striking lecturers with adjunct staff who will be paid as little as US$3 per hour. This follows ongoing industrial action by university educators demanding fair remuneration and better working conditions.
A recent appointment letter seen by 263Chat reveals that newly recruited adjunct lecturers are being offered contracts lasting only three months. The hourly wage structure tops at just US$3.30 for 60% of the hours worked and a meagre US$2.20 for the remaining 40%. These rates are to be paid in ZIG currency equivalents--a move widely criticised due to the volatile and inflation-prone nature of the local currency.
The letter, issued by UZ's Human Capital Management department, details a tight schedule of 60 hours per semester per module and includes responsibilities such as preparing lessons, setting and marking assignments and exams -- all for what amounts to a subsistence wage.
Critics say the university's approach amounts to exploitation and undermines the quality of education and the dignity of academic labour. "This is a blatant attempt to break the strike by dangling peanuts in front of desperate professionals," said one academic, Charles Mhara "It devalues the teaching profession and sets a dangerous precedent."
The move comes amid a deepening crisis in Zimbabwe's higher education sector. Lecturers have long complained about salaries that fail to keep up with the cost of living. The University of Zimbabwe, one of the country's premier institutions, now faces accusations of prioritising cost-cutting over quality and ethics.
With this latest development, tensions are expected to escalate as unions and education stakeholders mobilise to resist what many see as a deliberate attack on the academic workforce.
"Replacing professionals with poorly paid temporary staff is not just short-sighted -- it's a recipe for institutional collapse," said Mhara.
The University's silence in response to mounting criticism has only fueled suspicions that more underhanded tactics may be underway to suppress dissent and weaken collective bargaining.
