UZ Lecturers Lawyer Up: Court Showdown Looms Over Police Crackdown on Wage Protest
University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturers have taken their battle for better pay to the High Court, seeking to bar the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) from interfering with their ongoing industrial action.
The move comes amid rising tensions over what they describe as “slave wages” of just US$250 per month a figure they want increased tenfold to US$2,500.
Their frustration reached a boiling point last Wednesday when three lecturers were arrested for picketing on campus.
Though they were released the following day after paying US$15 fines, the incident has sparked a legal and political firestorm.
The Association of University Teachers (AUT) has now filed a court application, accusing Police Commissioner Stephen Mutamba and UZ authorities of using heavy-handed tactics to quash lawful demonstrations.
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In this regard, lecturers insist their peaceful protests are protected under the Constitution and argue the police have no legal basis to break them up.
In its application, AUT argues that the ZRP and university officials are trampling on constitutional rights.
The document, partly seen by NewZimbabwe.com, states:
“The applicant and its members stand to suffer irreparable harm if the 1st and 3rd respondents are left to continue to disregard the lawful rights of the applicant and its members to engage in lawful picketing.”
The lecturers also claim they’ve had to dig into their own pockets to keep classes running, as neither the university nor the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education has shown any urgency in addressing their concerns.
They fear future protests will also be crushed unless the courts intervene.
AUT, represented by Matika, Gwisai and Partners, is demanding a court-ordered interdict to prevent any further police interference.
The matter is expected to be heard today, Saturday, April 19.
This courtroom clash marks a new chapter in the growing unrest among Zimbabwe’s public sector workers, as inflation and stagnant wages continue to erode livelihoods.
