Key Points
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UZ lecturers demand a raise to the pre-2018 salary level.
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The police arrested three AUT leaders during the protest.
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The government’s promises to improve salaries remain unfulfilled.
The police arrested leaders of the Association of University Teachers (AUT) at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) on Wednesday after they led a protest demanding a salary review.
The protest was organized following claims that lecturers’ salaries have failed to meet basic needs, especially in light of the country’s economic challenges.
Lecturers demand salary increase
The lecturers’ salary demand is rooted in the pre-October 2018 levels when a junior lecturer earned approximately US$2,500 per month.
According to AUT leaders, current pay rates are insufficient, with some lecturers earning as little as US$300 per month. These conditions have prompted lecturers to seek a significant raise.
Many are questioning why the government has yet to fulfill promises made by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Fredrick Shava. He had previously promised regional salaries to align UZ lecturers’ pay with their peers across the region.
Police clampdown on peaceful protest
Despite requests for permission from both police and university authorities to go on strike, the protest ended in arrests. The police insisted the protest was illegal, a claim contested by AUT legal adviser Munyaradzi Gwisai.
According to Gwisai, the protest was legal under the labor laws since the union had authorized it.
This was the second protest in a series, following a previous attempt that was blocked by the parent ministry. Lecturers were angered by what they see as the disregard for their struggles by both the police and the university authorities.
The protests and subsequent arrests have sparked a broader debate about the state of education in Zimbabwe and the treatment of university staff.
