Harare Correspondent
HARARE – The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) conferred degrees upon 6,918 students during its 44th graduation ceremony, proceeding despite a bitter, months-long strike by lecturers who branded the institution a “degree printing machine” and launched a failed High Court bid to halt the event.
The graduation, presided over by Chancellor President Emmerson Mnangagwa, unfolded under a cloud of controversy. Academic staff remain on strike, protesting poor salaries and working conditions. They have repeatedly alleged compromised academic standards, claiming “some dissertations and theses were not adequately supervised” due to the industrial action.
Their attempts to legally stop the ceremony were dismissed by the High Court just days prior.
“This graduation is a farce,” declared a representative of the striking lecturers’ union, speaking anonymously due to fear of victimization.
“How can you award degrees for work that wasn’t properly supervised or examined? The UZ is operating like a degree printing machine, churning out qualifications while undermining their value.”
Despite the turmoil, the ceremony celebrated academic achievement. The graduating cohort comprised:
· 👩🎓 Total Graduands: 6,918
· 🔹 Females: 3,674 (53%)
· 🔹 Males: 3,244 (47%)
· 🎓 Undergraduate Degrees: 5,949
· 🎓 Postgraduate Diplomas/Degrees: 938
· 📚 Doctorates (PhD): 29 | Master of Philosophy (MPhil): 2
Among the standout graduates was Rumbidzai Chibizhe, who emerged as the overall best female student. She earned a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Computational Economics with a first-class pass, achieving an astounding 32 distinctions out of 42 modules. Her excellence earned her the prestigious E.D. Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Award.
President Mnangagwa capped the graduands, commending their perseverance. However, the unresolved strike and the lecturers’ scathing criticism of the university’s management during the graduation period cast a long shadow over the celebrations, raising persistent questions about quality assurance and the institution’s future stability.
The university administration has maintained that all academic processes leading to graduation were completed satisfactorily, despite the strike action.
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