In a shocking turn of events, University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturers are still demanding a whopping US$2,500 monthly salary, despite the institution’s best efforts to replace them with “experts” from the streets and churches. Because, clearly, that’s where the best academics hang out. The Association of University Teachers (AUT) spokesperson, Obvious Vengeyi, poured cold water on UZ’s adjunct lecturer plan, saying: “The whole ‘hiring adjunct lecturers’ thing didn’t quite work out as planned. They managed to scrounge up 10 ‘experts’ across 11 faculties, and surprise, surprise, none of them are qualified to teach high school. Talk about a stroke of genius!”
Vengeyi wasn’t holding back, calling the situation “a joke, to say the least.” It seems UZ’s plan to find replacement lecturers was about as successful as finding a needle in a haystack – or in this case, finding qualified lecturers on the streets. The lecturers, meanwhile, are sticking to their demand for a US$2,500 monthly salary, despite the threats of termination. Who needs a backup plan when you’ve got a union that’s not afraid to speak truth to power?
Apparently, UZ thought they could just wave a magic wand and attract a pool of highly qualified lecturers who would be willing to work for peanuts. But instead, they got a handful of individuals who couldn’t even teach high school. It’s not like they asked for much – just a decent salary that wouldn’t require them to live on the streets themselves.
The AUT is standing firm, refusing to back down in the face of UZ’s draconian measures. And honestly, who can blame them? It’s not like the lecturers are asking for the moon here. Just a living wage that would allow them to focus on teaching rather than surviving.
source- Crime watch
