By A Correspondent

Former Opposition MP Fadzayi Mahere has strongly criticized Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration for its meager compensation of University of Zimbabwe lecturers, providing only US$2.60 per hour, an amount scarcely enough to purchase a single packet of biscuits.

Mahere, herself a law lecturer, expressed her dismay in a statement on Wednesday, denouncing the practice as insulting.

Mahere’s statement highlights the inadequacy of hourly wages for lecturers, pointing out the failure to account for the extensive time spent on lecture preparation, research, attending academic conferences, writing papers, commuting, and providing student assistance.

She questions the fairness of compensating lecturers for extracurricular activities such as coaching moot court.

Emphasizing the need for comprehensive remuneration that respects the demands of academia, Mahere calls for a reevaluation of the current compensation system and urges for new leadership to address these issues.

See Mahere’s statement below :

Paying an hourly rate to a lecturer is actually insulting. (Never mind that the rate is a degrading US$2,50.)

Who will pay for the time spent researching to deliver a lecture? Are they aware that you can spend four hours preparing to give a 2 hour lecture? What about time spent attending academic conferences and writing papers? What about the time spent travelling to and from class? What about the time spent seeing students who need help after class? Who will pay them for extra-curricular work like coaching mooting?

If you’re going to go the hourly billing route, go all the way.

University lecturers deserve decent pay and benefits.

Respect academia.

We need new leaders.