New law aims to foster academic freedom, arrest brain drain

University and college lecturers and other related employees in Zimbabwe will now be managed under a new higher tertiary education body, the Tertiary Education Service (TES), away from the Public Service Commission (PSC).

The change is part of several new provisions in the amended Manpower Planning and Development Bill 2020, which was passed into law in April and aligned to the constitution.

The transfer of workers from the PSC to the TES is meant to improve the working conditions of higher tertiary education staff in line with international best practices, foster academic freedom and to arrest a brain drain that has dogged the sector over the past years.

The new law also mandates universities, research institutions and colleges to create their own innovation and industrialisation funds to support the development of start-up commercial enterprises and technological solutions. So far, the Zimbabwe Treasury has been financing the establishment of innovation hubs at universities.

In another development that has been highly lauded by stakeholders, the new law strictly specifies the purpose of the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF), and places the fund’s control under a board of directors.

“The object for which the fund is established shall be to develop skilled manpower and professions; support and promote the creation of new knowledge; innovation; science; technological and engineering solutions; and business enterprises,” section 47 of the new act reads.

ZIMDEF, which is appropriated from an industry levy, was founded in 1984 to fund the development of critical and highly skilled human capital. However, lately, the fund has allegedly been looted by politicians for personal gain.

Section 6 of the new act further obligates the establishment of academies of sciences which will act as advisory bodies to the state on innovation, science and technology issues along the lines of international academy of sciences like the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

A boost for academic freedom

Daniel Molokele, the opposition lawmaker and former chairman of the parliamentary portfolio committee on higher and tertiary education, innovation, science and technology, said the act was a welcome development that is going to help in the practical implementation of the Education 5.0 Policy.

“It is going to address concerns around staff conditions in universities and colleges. It also pushes institutions of higher learning towards commercialisation and industrialisation, as they will now be allowed to set up their own businesses,” he told University World News.

In an interview, David Dzatsunga, president of the College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe, said academics were happy with the act as it would ensure greater academic freedom to lecturers, which was impossible in the civil service.

“The transfer of lecturers from the public service will impact on their conditions of service. I can say lecturers are euphoric about this act as a result,” he said.

“Also the ZIMDEF has been a real stone in the shoe for us as its governance has been structurally flawed to the extent that it had become a cash cow for those administrators who are corrupt. We are happy that a board will ensure that ZIMDEF will be channelled towards growing the sector in its many facets, especially research and infrastructural development.”

On whether the act checked the overbearing powers of the minister, a public concern raised during public hearings for the bill last year, Molokele said the ministry (higher and tertiary education) had defended the minister’s authority by saying there are new regulations about how ministers relate to public bodies and institutions.

“So we will see during implementation what the role of the minister would be like and if there will be a need to change the law after we have seen how the minister is conducting himself,” he said.

Clemence Nhliziyo, the acting national coordinator of the Educational Coalition of Zimbabwe, said a review of the act was long overdue and so the changes would tremendously transform the outlook of the tertiary education sector.

“The new act is an important instrument for the sustainable development of Zimbabwe. Most of our universities and colleges are still developing and really do need the innovation funds,” he said.