LSU in another sexual harassment storm

LUPANE State University has been caught in yet another sexual abuse storm in which the Vice Chancellor Pardon Kuipa is alleged to have caused the clash of two women lovers causing a fierce fight which threatened to destroy his image if exposed.

Indications are that he has to create positions and promote the ladies to cover up for his misgivings which the ladies were likely to expose to the public if not promoted.

A university internal source said VC is covering up the shenanigans by appointing and promoting female employees that he sexually harassed.

"A lady (Names supplied) fought with another (name supplied) when she went to visit the VC and found him with her.  The security guards who guard the halls of residence had a free film when they watched the two ladies fighting," he said.

"The VC then promised one of the women to the position of a lecturer in the department of business management.  She graduated with an Honours degree in Entrepreneurship at Lupane State University."

The source said an advert was flighted on 15 October 2020 and the woman responded to the advert and was shortlisted.

He said during the interview the panel found her not appointable.  After the interview she told other staff members that the VC told her that she performed very well and she got the job.

"She waited for an appointment as promised but she got the shock of her life when she heard that someone had assumed duty.  She became angry and agitated and she attacked the members who were on the panel saying the VC told her that she passed the interview, and how come they were playing politics," the source said.

"Members in the department of Business management got angry with her gesture saying she claims she passed the interview yet she knows that they taught her and she was not and was never the best student during her study period."

The source said the VC realized that his move to continue enjoying himself with the woman was coming to an end as the lady was piling pressure on him requesting for the promised job, he allegedly created a vacant post in the Faculty of Agriculture.

"The post was created without approval and other Departments and sections within the university were told that there was an employment freeze by the parent ministry.  An advert was flighted on 29 march 2021 stating that the candidate must have "A minimum of a Master's Degree in Applied Entrepreneurship, Agribusiness, with a merit or better or related field and a Bachelors Honours Degree in Applied Entrepreneurship, Agribusiness, or related field, with a grade of 2.1 or better; with considerable teaching and research experience and a proven record of publications in refereed scientific journals," said the source.

"A PhD in Applied Entrepreneurship, Agribusiness, will be an added advantage. The woman who is a secretary by profession applied for the post and out of PhD holders from different disciplines, only two secretaries within LSU were shortlisted for the job. The advert required the candidate to teach at least three module according to ZIMCHE guidelines: Entrepreneurship, Agribusiness Management, Business Ethics and Corporate Governance, Risk
Management for Agribusiness, Agricultural Value Chain Management."

Indications are that the woman is married to a gold panner who is always away.

"One wonders how many modules she teaches in the faculty of Agricultural sciences since she has an Entrepreneurship degree. Other female staff members who were sexual harassed have been promoted to acting positions, and others staff members who long qualified being neglected as the university is in a move to cover up for the vice-chancellor," said the source.

"Positions are created and crafted so that they suit the individuals who do not qualify but to fulfil the promise.  The university took the move to cover for the VC in fear after one female employee who was sexually harassed by the VC and is still aggrieved challenged the Registrar during the Parliamentary Portfolio committee meeting with University staff."

The Registrar Jairos Makunde told the Parliamentary portfolio committee that indeed he knew the case but it was resolved amicably.

This did not go well with the aggrieved lady who stood up in front of the Parliamentary Portfolio challenging that the issue is still hanging.

The Registrar tried to defend his position by presenting a sexual harassment policy which staff members rejected citing that the policy was a kangaroo policy created to cover for the VC.

However, another staff member said the staff members were not happy with the said policy while others raised that it had a forged signature for the late senior staff member.

The document has two attached documents together with different font sizes and the date in which the policy was signed is suspicious.