BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA GREAT Zimbabwe University (GZU) has dismissed allegations of corruption and nepotism at the institution after workers alleged that over 50% of the university management staff were related.
The workers recently petitioned the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and Higher and Tertiary Education minister Amon Murwira to investigate what they called “rampant corruption and nepotism”.
The petition, dated February 23, was copied to the Chief Secretary to the Office of President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Higher Education secretary Fanuel Tagwira.
In a statement, GZU spokesperson Anderson Chipatiso said the interests of workers were protected starting from the recruitment processes, adding that unions were also involved.
“All Great Zimbabwe University appointments are done according to procedure as outlined in its recruitment policies giving due regard to transparency, fairness and qualifications. Great Zimbabwe University has been on an unprecedented growth in terms of its physical infrastructure and academic programmes since 2012, hence the corresponding growth in the size of its management structure and general workforce,” Chipatiso said.
“While the prospect of retrenchment under the current harsh economic environment is in itself enough to generate trepidation and uncertainty among all staff, this should not justify abuse and expression of ill-will towards those who have been mandated by the government to drive the process in all institutions of higher learning.”
He said allegations of nepotism were meant to tarnish and scandalise the university.
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