Solusi University accused of Corruption
Investigations
August 9, 2008 | By Sakhile Malaba | © zimbabwemetro.com ⋅
Email This
| ⋅ Post a comment
Solusi University which two years fired thirteen lecturers after they launched a three-week strike in protest over low salaries has made u-turn not to accept a court judgement prompting the fired lecturers to accuse the administration of the Church run university of dishonesty and corruption.
(Multimillionare Delma Lupepe,Left poses with some graduands at the university’s graduation ceremony)
In 2006 thirteen lecturers from the Seventh Day Adventist Church run institution were dismissed after being accused of taking part in an illegal strike. The 13 lecturers refused to appear before a disciplinary committee, arguing that they could not attend a hearing without the presence of their lawyers.
They also argued that their strike had not been declared illegal by the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Nicholas Goche.
The lecturers had launched a three-week strike in protest over low salaries and working conditions. The strikers complained that their current salary of US$190 per month was unsustainable. Solusi university charges tuition in US dollars.
After their dismissal, they went on to challenge the decision in court and the labour Court ruled that the university had erred in firing the lecturers in and should either reappoint them or pay them off.
After the ruling the university’s human resources manager,Mduduzi Mkandla wrote to the lecturers telling them that they accept the judgement and the university is willing to pay the lecturers.
“Following the judgement of the Labour Court … kindly be informed that the university accepts the ruling and is committed to enforce it by all means possible,” reads the letter dated 29 May 2008.
“In light of the directive given by the court, Solusi opts to go the way of damages as provided by the judgement.”
The lecturers demanded US$ 1,5 million each taking into “into account the serious abuse we suffered and the existence of a litigation fund and risk management fund kept at the church’s headquarters in Maryland, United States of America.”
Probably shocked by the amount of money the lectures demanded the institution made a u-turn and advised that it had instead decided to challenge the labour ruling.
“Pursuant to the letter dated 29 March 2008 please be advised that Solusi University is appealing against the judgement handed down by the Labour Court on the grounds of merit,” Mkandla wrote to the lectures.
The lecturers have since written to the general conference to protest against abuse by the university. They claimed that the appeal was “downright dishonesty”.
They also claim that the actions of the administration are bringing the church into disrepute and that the issue of the lecturers had torn the church apart. An appeal to the Supreme Court could likely take up to four years.
There are three private universities in Zimbabwe, Africa University in Mutare and the Catholic University in Harare.
The development serves to highlight the plight of teaching staff in Zimbabwe’s collapsed economy as reports say students at the University of Zimbabwe are augmenting their lecturers’ salaries.
In unrelated development on Friday the University of Botswana terminated Ceasar Zvayi, the former political editor of the state-run Herald newspaper’s contract on moral grounds and was immediately deported.
Zvayi could have stood to earn more than 8000 Pula a month as a lecturer at the University of Botswana,a salary a full professor at any university in Zimbabwe can only dream of.
Amasabatha vele angamatsotsi!
solusi admin imbavha dzinohwanda nechurch pliz pihwai mari yenyu musadzokere s****,you have got all our support………..
Asi tumwa foreigners takanzara kuSolusi,I went there and thought I was in Zambia!
Solusi Univ is one of the best universities in Zim. you know the lecturers are greed how can they request a salary more than of the professors in this country. they must know that working in Zimb that means low salary the students are few due to lack of funds so where can the college sorce money for the salaries and all expenses. please lets understand the situation and talk as one remember those lectures are the one who ask for assistance and they were offered. so things will be fyn one day. lets pray for Solusi and the Lectures.
God bless you
haiwa! solusi izere mbavha dzevanhu. daylight robbery is wat they specialize in. they are supposed to be shepherds leading the flock but whenever they become hungry, they slaughter their sheep and don’t even care who suffers in the process. mahedheni! kuhwanda nechurch!
solusi its a great univercity but the they are like increasing it evryday
We should not accuse each other Zimbabwe has been in a mess for the past ten Yrs. Its time to get over it and start building a new university in a new Zimbabwe. This is the purpose of the all inclusive govt. Everyone is a thief, not just adventists but everyone. Saying that only adventists are thieves will be a nomative and dull statement.
Such confusion in Universities should give Mugabe & Tsvangirai a wake up call. Varume taneta “DO SOMETHING”
Solusi is great, things will get better, only if one has “hope”. Im at Solusi the situation is not that bad. All my lectures have got lecturers.
Some of us really died to study in Solusi but the way people are beingskinnedalive forthe US $ tuition, we have considered to turn elsewhere.”People of god, pls fear GOD” ah ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
im a former student and am really shocked on all these thing which are taking place. one thing solusi university should to know is that ,all the lectures who are there are just making a sacrifice like what they do in their church. it doesnt mean these people dont have greater opportunities .please treat them with great care, the knowledge they offer to us has got value and we are even graded in the first class everywhere we are working.
god bless
justice should prevail . things should wiork in favour of all parties. we understand that the situation is pathetic in the country but at least these guys should get something for their sacrifice they can;t just shut them up mlike that. The same money they are refusing with, is the same money which they need to solve some of their problems. They deserve it coz they sacrificed their time teaching all the guys who are representing them in the country and abroad. But don’t cease to pray the church has nothing to with it.
what kind of a mess is this? adventist church? Zimbabwe? Wanted to study there coz am adventist but giving foul smell abt Zimbabwe.God help ma Kenya is better.