IN a new twist to the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) indefinite strike, authorities at the institution of higher learning have written fresh suspension letters to members of the Association of University Teachers (AUT) on revised charges.
The UZ has summoned AUT leaders to appear before a disciplinary hearing.
In a letter dated May 5, 2025 addressed to all the five union leaders, UZ vice-chancellor Paul Mapfumo revised the allegations to only the use of the Great Hall without permission, thereby disrupting classes.
“It is the University of Zimbabwe case that on April 2, 2025, you used the Great Hall to conduct a balloting process for members of AUT over a proposal to engage in collective job action . . . the Great Hall is used for lectures by students and on the day in question, it was scheduled to host a Chinese language lecture,” Mapfumo said.
“I regret to inform you that in terms of section 4.4.2 of the University of Zimbabwe Employment Code of Conduct, I find it necessary to suspend you from duty without salary and benefits as from Tuesday May 6, 2025, pending the convening of a staff disciplinary committee hearing.”
AUT spokesperson Obvious Vengai confirmed that the lecturers, including their legal adviser Munyaradzi Gwisai, have been suspended.
“The suspensions come only 11 days after the first suspensions were lifted,” Vengai said.
The entire AUT executive was initially suspended on April 4.
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“And this suspension further confirms that the vice-chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe does not follow any laid down procedures. He does as he likes,” he said.
“You cannot suspend someone and without a hearing, you lift the suspension. After 11 days, you suspend again the same people on almost the same allegations.”
He said the disciplinary hearings had been set for May 13 and 14.
“But who knows what is going on or what is not going on in the VC’s head, any minute we may receive letters lifting the suspensions,” Vengai said.
“It is clear that the suspensions are an attempt to intimidate and punish leadership for organising the strike that has from April 16 paralysed all operations at UZ.
“Authorities at the UZ and AUT leaders have been engaged in a bitter dispute over a salary review that forced lecturers to picket outside UZ campus.”
The university educators, who fall under AUT, are demanding that their salaries be raised to the pre-October 2018 level of US$2 500 per month.
Currently, lecturers are earning US$230 and a ZiG component of less than US$200 when converted.
