Staff exodus hits State universities

A MASSIVE brain drain has hit the country's  State universities with lecturers leaving the country in droves in protest over poor salaries, NewsDay Weekender has learnt.

Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) has lost 50 lecturers since January this year.

NewsDay Weekender also heard that the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and Midlands State University (MSU) were not spared.

GZU vice-chancellor Rungano Zvobgo said the mass staff exodus was affecting successful implementation of Education 5.0 policy.

"This year alone, we lost 50 members of staff through resignations, five of them were PhD holders. This has negatively impacted our critical mass of specialised human resources," Zvobgo said at the institution's graduation ceremony recently.

A UZ lecturer who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "Lecturers are leaving in great numbers. Some non-academic staff are also leaving because some salaries earned in October were in the negative."

On July 5, Association of University Teachers of UZ president Zvakanyorwa Wilbert Sadomba and secretary-general Rekopantswe Mate wrote to UZ vice-chancellor Paul Mapfumo airing their grievances over poor salaries and working conditions.

"Your non-consultative and non-participatory approach to administration has caused an unprecedented decline in morale leading to an exodus of experts in vital fields such as medicine," the union leaders said in a memo seen by NewsDay Weekender.  

College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe president David Dzatsunga said lecturers at State institutions have turned destitute.

"Quite a number of lecturers are leaving for the diaspora especially because of the low salaries and poor conditions of service incomparable with counterparts in the region and internationally," Dzatsunga said.