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University of Zimbabwe to release results
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The Association of University Teachers (AUT) has launched a scathing attack on the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), accusing the institution's leadership of academic fraud, governance failures, and trampling on workers' constitutional rights. The claims come amid a protracted 110-day strike by AUT members that began on April 16, 2025.
In a statement issued Saturday, the AUT alleged that the university's administration, under Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo, has engaged in "gross violations" of academic and administrative protocols, including the manipulation and fraudulent awarding of student grades. The union warned that the university was preparing to release illegitimate results over the weekend, ahead of a planned graduation ceremony set for August 22.
"The University of Zimbabwe is on the verge of publishing results that have not passed through proper academic processes," said the union. "This will permanently damage the integrity of our qualifications, our institution, and our country."
According to the AUT, the ongoing industrial action was triggered by the university leadership's refusal to address serious concerns around governance, transparency, and academic standards. Despite repeated calls for dialogue, the union said the administration chose to retaliate rather than engage.
The situation escalated, the AUT claims, when members of the union's executive were suspended and later dismissed for conducting a strike ballot in a university hall without written permission - a move the AUT described as "a blatant attack on lawful trade union activity."
At the core of the crisis is what the AUT described as a deliberate disregard for General University Regulations and faculty statutes. The union says it submitted a detailed 45-page dossier and a seven-page cover letter to the Vice Chancellor on July 30, laying out the alleged misconduct. The university was given 48 hours to respond, but no reply has been received, according to the lecturers' association.
"Professor Mapfumo has presided over an academic environment where standards are being eroded, and dissenting voices are punished instead of heard," the statement read. "We have made every effort to prevent the university from engaging in academic fraud that will undoubtedly tarnish its reputation and credibility."
The AUT further stated that it would make public all correspondence with university authorities, including internal memos, to expose what it calls an attempt to mask administrative failure through falsified academic achievements.
As the standoff deepens, students and parents are left in limbo, with fears mounting over the validity of forthcoming examination results and the integrity of the August graduation.
The University of Zimbabwe has not yet issued a formal response to the serious allegations.
Meanwhile, observers warn that if unresolved, the impasse could cause lasting damage to the institution's credibility, particularly in the eyes of international partners, employers, and prospective students.
In a statement issued Saturday, the AUT alleged that the university's administration, under Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo, has engaged in "gross violations" of academic and administrative protocols, including the manipulation and fraudulent awarding of student grades. The union warned that the university was preparing to release illegitimate results over the weekend, ahead of a planned graduation ceremony set for August 22.
"The University of Zimbabwe is on the verge of publishing results that have not passed through proper academic processes," said the union. "This will permanently damage the integrity of our qualifications, our institution, and our country."
According to the AUT, the ongoing industrial action was triggered by the university leadership's refusal to address serious concerns around governance, transparency, and academic standards. Despite repeated calls for dialogue, the union said the administration chose to retaliate rather than engage.
The situation escalated, the AUT claims, when members of the union's executive were suspended and later dismissed for conducting a strike ballot in a university hall without written permission - a move the AUT described as "a blatant attack on lawful trade union activity."
"Professor Mapfumo has presided over an academic environment where standards are being eroded, and dissenting voices are punished instead of heard," the statement read. "We have made every effort to prevent the university from engaging in academic fraud that will undoubtedly tarnish its reputation and credibility."
The AUT further stated that it would make public all correspondence with university authorities, including internal memos, to expose what it calls an attempt to mask administrative failure through falsified academic achievements.
As the standoff deepens, students and parents are left in limbo, with fears mounting over the validity of forthcoming examination results and the integrity of the August graduation.
The University of Zimbabwe has not yet issued a formal response to the serious allegations.
Meanwhile, observers warn that if unresolved, the impasse could cause lasting damage to the institution's credibility, particularly in the eyes of international partners, employers, and prospective students.
Source - Zimlive
