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The University of Zimbabwe has recently drawn criticism for its meagre compensation of $2.50 (R47) per hour offered to Adjunct Lecturers within the institution’s Law Faculty.

Those affected, who recently switched from part-time to permanent posts at the institution, have been dismayed by the university’s latest remuneration policy.

Adjunct Lecturers’  duties include giving classroom lectures, preparing presentations, and answering questions from students.

The announcement came through a memorandum dated March 13, 2024, titled “Remuneration of Adjunct Lecturers,” addressed to the Deans of Faculties and Chairpersons of Departments by Thulani Sheila Makamure. The memo notes that Adjunct Lecturers would have a mixed remuneration system starting March 9, 2024, as agreed by the Vice Chancellor.

“Adjunct Lecturers, formerly known as Part-Time Lecturers, will now be paid in both local currency and US dollars, with the latter split evenly at a rate of $2.50 per hour, while the former remains unaltered.”

This arrangement entails that half of their earnings will be in Zimbabwean dollars and the other half in US dollars, capped at 60 hours per month. Henceforth, claim forms for Adjunct Lecturers must indicate amounts in both currencies.

The previously esteemed institution is now facing an exodus of lecturers due to its failure to improve working conditions.

Fadzayi Mahere, a prominent lawyer and former Member of Parliament, expressed grave concerns about the impact of such low remuneration on teaching quality at the university. Her statement emphasised the absurdity of asking skilled academic professionals to labour for such a low salary.

However, Jonathan Moyo, a former ZANU PF politburo member in exile, proposed a different reading, claiming that the letter had been misinterpreted. Moyo explained that the memo only applied to part-time teaching staff, currently known as “Adjunct Lecturers,” and not full-time, permanent faculty members.

Moyo underlined that the US$2.50 per hour rate only applies to the foreign currency component for part-time professors and that teaching hours are limited due to their part-time nature. He further argued that part-time professors frequently have other responsibilities and educate for reasons other than financial gain.

Under the Zanu PF, these other responsibilities likely involve selling fruit on the side of the road to stave off starvation. It’s sad to see a country that once prided itself on its educational system taking its educators for granted, but the ‘Breadbasket of Africa’ has now seemingly embraced its new title as ‘Basket Case of Africa.’

Unfortunately for Zimbabweans, its neighbours will likely benefit from the exodus of highly educated educators.

[source:zimeye]