NUST top brass in 'organised looting' - report

FRUSTRATED National University of Science and Technology (NUST) staff have passionately appealed to Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo to save the institution from imminent collapse.

They accuse top management of rampant 'organised looting' of money through shady schemes.

A 1033 worded report seen by this writer details the alleged rot at the institution 'that was to be the best university of science and technology in Zimbabwe".

The report list 'scandalous' procurement of expensive top of the range vehicles for top management when 'learning departments and laboratories have little to no equipment and chemicals'

'...where management took a loan of almost a million US dollars, the ones that have arrived at NUST so far are Chevrolet Captivas for the director of works, deputy bursar- finance and admin, and deputy registrar- admin.

"There is also a latest Toyota Hilux D4D twin cab for the acting vice chancellor, a Toyota Revo for the dean of communications and a Foton 4*4 for the dean of students, just to mention a few" reads part of the report.

"We hear more are coming...The loan to buy these cars was taken at a time when NUST has an overdraft of + or - $3 000 000.00.

"The loan was also taken when learning departments and laboratories have little to no equipment and chemicals".

With this, the staff members added that "the managers placed themselves ahead of students who pay fees to get quality education and training".

The report also says if an audit is done at NUST it will reveal that over the years management have strayed from the university policies governing mileage and telephone allowances among many others.

"One example we will give you is that deputies of principal officers were not supposed to be entitled to vehicles or mileage allowances but the NUST management extended this facility to these people just like they also started giving monthly fuel allowances to their PAs and senior Assistant Registrars who were not entilted to such allowances by policey,".

The report also singled out the acting vice chancellor as being part of this "shamefull looting at NUST".

"To add to this shamefull looting the NUST managers are always flying on trips that never bring any development to NUST.

"We have seen the Acting VC (a proffesor in applied chemistry) flying to attend a conference on IT just to get his fingers on hefty allowances without them contributing anything to the development of the institution,".

According to the report, it claims that now that "lecturers are now raising hairs over these issues, management is now trying to wash its hands and pretend that they never erred, that they never stole,".

NUST, according to the report 'spends $533 160 00 annually on telephone and mileage allowances whilist research is budgeted at $250 000 00 per year. That is wrong!'

It added that a latest audit report reveals that 'about $400 000 of the $1 000 000.00 commited by government to renovate former Epoch Mine facilities into the upcoming Gwanda University is said to be unaccounted for".

To salvage the situation, staff members appealed to Moyo to intervene.

"Honorable minister please attend to this report, if you already do no have it".

Reads another section " Honorable minister, please do something about this managment...

"The nation cannot watch as these men and women who are reducing the stature and glory of what was two be the best university of science and technology in Zimbabwe are left two their cruel mischief.

"They should be suspended pending investigations on their activities.Honorable minister please save NUST!'".