More than 100 lecturers and teaching staff picketed Zimbabwe’s main university on Tuesday, backing a five-week strike that has ground exams to a halt.
The University of Zimbabwe’s educators stopped work on April 16, demanding a salary increase from $230 to $2,500 per month.
They claim $2,500 matches their pay in 2018, before Zimbabwe’s currency was massively devalued amid economic upheaval.
Students from the Zimbabwe National Students Union joined staff in the third protest outside the central Harare campus.
Since the strike began, all classes have ceased and exams scheduled two weeks ago were cancelled, said Association of University Teachers (AUT) spokesperson Obvious Vengeyi.
“The administration suspended five AUT leaders, hoping to quell the strike, but only fueled tensions,” Vengeyi told AFP.
He warned that if demands remain unmet, the university may shut its doors for the first time since opening in 1952.
Out of approximately 1,200 academic staff, only 17 continue to work, according to AUT figures.
Earlier this month, six students were arrested for protesting in support of the lecturers.
Student leader Darlington Chingwena stressed the lecturers’ importance, calling them the “cornerstone” of education and progress at the university.
The salary demands align with wages at regional universities, highlighting disparities after Zimbabwe’s 2019 shift from the US dollar to a local currency.
In April 2024, Zimbabwe introduced a gold-backed currency aimed at curbing inflation and stabilizing the economy.
In response to the strike, university officials announced plans to hire temporary staff to maintain academic functions.
With the crisis deepening, Zimbabwe’s premier university faces an uncertain future, caught between financial strain and the fight for fair pay.