A new labour dispute is brewing at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ). Lecturers who recently ended a four-month strike claim that management is using "dirty" tactics to punish them.
After the strike, some lecturers returned to work at the start of the new semester, but the mood remains tense.
The university has not paid the lecturers their salaries since they returned to work. The educators believe this delay is a way to frustrate them so they will quit.
"It is possible they are delaying putting people back on payroll so that they get frustrated and leave," one lecturer said anonymously.
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There is also growing fear among the lecturers. The leaders of the Association of University Teachers (AUT) were suspended and fired, leaving the lecturers without a strong voice. They have appealed their case in Labour Court.
To make matters worse, the UZ administration has started hiring new faculty. This has made many current lecturers anxious about losing their jobs, especially as they continue to negotiate for better pay.
Students are also frustrated by the situation. Munashe Chichetu, an accounting student, said, "The lecturers are not doing enough. They just load us with assignments."
The lecturers, who earn a basic minimum of US$230 per month, are demanding a raise to US$2,250 to restore their wages to what they were before 2018.
The strike, which started on April 16, 2025, greatly disrupted classes.
In the 1980s, UZ was one of the best universities in Africa. It was heavily supported by the government, and students received grants. The current dispute highlights the decline of the university's past status.
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