ZANU PF has urged the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) authorities and striking lecturers to come together to discuss their grievances to find a resolution to the ongoing impasse that has paralysed the country’s largest institution of higher learning.
On Tuesday, ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa faced a journalist’s question about how the government could claim to be delivering progress amidst the UZ strike.
In response, Mutsvangwa said the strike does not indicate a failure on the part of the government. He said:
Strikes happen in any country. There may be good reasons why the professors and lecturers are striking, but we cannot say that every strike that happens somewhere is a condemnation of the government.
There is nothing untoward about lecturers or any other Zimbabwean saying, I am not happy with what my employer is doing. It is not a political issue; it is an employer-employee relationship.
No, it is an expression of the democratic nature of Zimbabwean society. There is nothing wrong with striking, but hopefully, they will sit down together and assess each other’s grievances and demands.
There is no way we can be permanently without lecturers at such an important institution as the University of Zimbabwe. I am sure something good will come out of it.
UZ is facing the prospect of postponing this year’s graduation as lecturers refuse to return to lecture halls, demanding a salary increase.
The strike has plunged UZ into chaos, with students missing examinations and potentially disrupting other academic schedules if the deadlock with lecturers is not resolved.
The Association of University Teachers, which is campaigning for higher salaries, has received little response from UZ.
In a heavy-handed move, UZ suspended five of the striking lecturers, while reports indicate that newly recruited adjunct teachers will earn only US$3 per hour.
The ongoing strike at UZ is primarily driven by demands for better salaries and working conditions.
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