Controversial academic Professor Gift Mugano has stirred debate after saying Zimbabwean professors who complain about poverty and blame the ruling ZANU PF party are not genuine academics.
Mugano was responding on X to a University of Zimbabwe professor who said they were struggling daily because of poverty caused by ZANU PF.
Mugano, who has recently shifted from being a vocal government critic to a supporter, argued that a professor at the University of Zimbabwe should be able to generate income for both the institution and themselves.
He added that he would have understood the complaint if it had come from ordinary civil servants.
Mugano’s remarks quickly split opinion on social media. Some users backed Mugano, agreeing that professors should be financially independent, while others criticised him for dismissing the economic struggles faced by academics.
ZANU PF social media activist Kudzai Mutisi also weighed in, saying those attacking Mugano’s comments lacked exposure and did not understand what they were criticising. He wrote on X:
“For one to be a Professor, the person must be AN AUTHORITY in a subject area. He is respected BEYOND the borders of his country.
“A USEFUL Professor working at a University MUST apply for funding for research purposes… That money comes to the Institution…
“The Professor then recruits Graduate Students to perform research funded by the money he brought. That money can be so much that the Graduate Students may earn a SUBSTANTIAL STIPEND on a monthly basis.
“Those who have studied Masters or PhD in South African Universities will tell you it is MOSTLY FREE.
“It’s rare to find someone paying for a Masters Degree or PhD especially in STEM or the Accounting/Economics fields.
“In fact, most Masters & PhD students in STEM receive a Monthly Stipend that’s big enough to put them in the top 10% earners in South Africa.
“In all this, it is the PROFESSOR who gets the money for the University. Some Professors raise as much as R10 million per year.
“So, if in Zimbabwe there are University Professors who can’t raise money for themselves & the Universities they work for, they are totally useless… They are not serious people.
“Companies & govt departments in Zimbabwe & outside are always looking for solutions to the challenges they face…
“Some are looking for ways to improve their products & their processes…
“A USEFUL Professor approaches them, applies for a research grant, & work on finding the solution with his students….
“The companies ARE MORE THAN WILLING to fund relevant research…”
However, some commentators, including Bla B, argued that a professor’s primary role is to teach, conduct research, and contribute knowledge to society, rather than to generate income like a businessperson. He wrote:
“Professors are academics, not commercial enterprises. Their primary role is to teach, research, and contribute knowledge to society, not to “generate money” like businesspeople.
“Expecting them to personally fund themselves and their institutions in an economy marked by currency instability, underfunding, and brain drain is unrealistic and frankly insulting.
“Blaming struggling academics for systemic economic decline is classic deflection. University salaries, research grants, and institutional funding are shaped by national policy, public financing, and economic management, all of which are squarely political.
“When inflation erodes wages and public universities are chronically under-resourced, that is not a personal failure of lecturers; it’s a governance issue.
“You can’t demand world-class research, innovation, and graduate output while paying professionals wages that don’t cover basic living costs, then call them “fake” for speaking up. That’s not accountability. That’s denial.”
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