Teacher’s union president fired over ‘academic terrorism’

By Lance Guma
21 March 2008

Takavafira Zhou, the President of the militant Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, has been fired from his job as a history lecturer at Great Zimbabwe University. The university labelled him an ‘academic terrorist’ whose services were unsatisfactory. According to the Financial Gazette, Zhou has already instituted a legal action to challenge the dismissal. The paper says it obtained court documents relating to the matter and these show that Zhou had a stormy relationship with the university Vice Chancellor Obert Maravanyika, over the 4 years he worked there. Contained in the documents are allegations that Zhou spearheaded a strike at the university in 2006.

Zhou is arguing that he is being victimised for not allowing history student Precious Chitapi to pass her exams. Chitapi is alleged to be the Vice Chancellor’s girlfriend, although the Financial Gazette says documents identify her as the Vice Chancellor’s relative. Zhou argued, ‘University regulations have been changed and applied in retrospect merely to benefit Precious. When she scored 39 percent in June 2007, regulations were changed at the insistence of the VC (Vice Chancellor) to allow for supplementary examinations.’

Zhou is also alleging that lecturers are required to ‘buy peace’ by re-marking exams if any of the Vice Chancellor’s relatives are involved. He blames the ‘abuse of power’ for triggering a staff exodus at the University.