THE University of Zimbabwe (UZ) armed with Public Service, Labour and Social ministry Show Cause Order has told its staff to ignore the Association of University Teachers (AUT) call for collective job action.
In a memo dated March 22, 2025 signed by UZ registrar Munyaradzi Madambi, the university said it would be business as usual today at the compass.
The authorities said any collective job action in response to AUT’s call would be unlawful and illegal since Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister Edgar Moyo granted it a Show Cause Order.
“The University of Zimbabwe remains committed to engaging all its staff for improved welfare and conditions of service in line with government policy and its new transformational thrust as inspired by our Heritage-based Education 5.0 philosophy,” Madambi said.
Moyo intervened last Friday to avert a strike over salaries by University of Zimbabwe lecturers.
The lecturers threatened to down tools today to push for salary review.
UZ authorities had filed a Show Cause Order after they failed to meet lecturers' salary demands before Moyo granted the order.
AUT secretary-general Borncase Mwakorera described the move as “a temporary setback”, adding that association’s members would meet today for a way forward.
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“It’s just a temporary setback but we will be meeting our members today for the way forward. Who knows, they may resolve to go ahead with the strike,” he said.
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 earn an average of US$300 per month plus a local currency component that translates to less than US$200.
Meanwhile, in a solidarity message the Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) said it stood resolute with lecturers in their quest for fair remuneration.
“The exploitation of our esteemed lecturers by the University of Zimbabwe administration is a blatant disregard for their invaluable contribution to education and society and paying them a mere salary of less than US$300 is a clear sign that the university and government have no respect for the dignity of our educators,” Zinasu said in a statement.
