UZ lecturers earn US$2.50 per hour

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Adjunct lecturers in the Law Faculty at Zimbabwe’s most prestigious university, the University of Zimbabwe, are earning US$2.50 per hour.

This was revealed in a memorandum dated March 13, 2024, on the “Remuneration of Adjunct Lecturers” that was addressed to the Deans of Faculties and Chairpersons of Departments by one Thulani Sheila Makamure. Part of the memo reads:

Please be advised that the Vice Chancellor approved a blended remuneration of Adjunct Lecturers with effects from 9 March 2024.

Adjunct Lecturers (formerly Part-Time Lecturers) will now be paid their salary claims in both local currency and in United States dollars on a 50/50 basis.

The United States dollar component will be calculated at two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per hour while the Zimbabwean dollar component remains the same.

This means that half their claims will be paid in Zimbabwean dollars and the other half in United States dollars up to a maximum of sixty (60) hours a month. Claim forms for Adjunct Lecturers must henceforth be denominated in both currencies as explained above.

Deans and Chairpersons of Departments should ensure that Adjunct Lecturers receive the necessary support to open Nostro accounts with their banks.

Commenting on the development, respected lawyer Fadzayi Mahere, who is also a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mt Pleasant (CCC) said the low remuneration for lecturers may negatively affect the quality of teaching at the university. She wrote on X:

How can a university lecturer, even a part-time one, be paid US$2.50 an hour? Is this not an insult?

How do you expect to attract competent academic staff on such a slave wage? What impact will this have on the quality of teaching at the university?

Imagine teaching at the country’s biggest university and your hourly rate can’t even buy you a coffee? This nation is broken.

Do you expect any teaching to take place on such a slave wage? At which point will Govt feel embarrassment at its irrational, broken policies?

Do you send your children to these universities or are the poor just left to deal with whatever insulting crumbs you throw at them?

However, self-exiled former ZANU PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo said the letter had been misinterpreted.

Moyo argued that the letter is not about the “earnings” of UZ lecturers who are full-time or permanent or tenured members of the teaching staff; but about part-time teaching staff, whom UZ now calls “Adjunct Lecturers”.

He said it is also not true that the letter says part-time lecturers at UZ “will now be earning US$2.50 per hour. Added Moyo:

… rather the letter clearly says, “Adjunct Lecturers (formerly Part-Time Lecturers) will now be paid their salary claims in both local currency and in United States dollars on a 50/50 basis”.

In other words, the letter says half of the earnings of part-time lecturers at UZ will be paid in local currency, and half in foreign currency.

In this connection, the letter says foreign currency has been pegged at “two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per hour while the Zimbabwean dollar component remains the same”.

Because they are teaching on a part-time basis, the part time lecturers are authorised to work for a maximum of 60 hours per months, which translates to an average of 15 hours per week. They cannot do more hours, like full-timers.

This stands to reason because, by definition, part-time lecturers work or have commitments at other workplaces where they may, in fact, be working full-time and making more money there.

Moyo further argued that teaching time is done for a range of reasons; which include but are not limited to supplementing one’s income, keeping abreast with developments in one’s professional field or building one’s professional curriculum vitae, among others.