> Let's Forward this Post Everywhere ❕ *HOT NEWS: Parliament demands urgent action as UZ's lecturers strike enters Day 58* ‼️ https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDkMuTFCCoNC13vvo2V _*©Eragon Online News*_ *_(Follow this channel to read more...)_* *Group Link:* https://chat.whatsapp.com/CDyzvhE1ey5H89lorhyIvn HARARE – Parliament has demanded a ministerial statement from Higher and Tertiary Education Minister, Frederick Shava, as the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturers’ strike reached day 58, with CCC chief whip Charles Moyo accusing Shava of routinely snubbing Parliament amid worsening campus chaos. Raising the matter in the National Assembly yesterday, Moyo described the situation at UZ as “chaotic” and a “sheer waste of time” for students, warning that dissertations are going unsupervised, exams are not being written, and even newly recruited adjunct lecturers are not showing up. “Yesterday, there were demonstrations from the lecturers, yet other students are to go for attachments. It seems this semester is a sheer waste of time to students as well as a loss to parents' hard-earned money," Moyo said. He added: "There is chaos and uncertainty at our institution. If it pleases you Hon. Speaker Sir, I request the absent Hon. Minister of Higher Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, to come only once and give us a Ministerial Statement on the negotiations, deadlocks or practical police intervention to bring normalcy to our tertiary institution. I thank you." Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda accepted the request and pledged to alert the Minister, saying he would be advised to issue a Ministerial Statement explaining the deadlock and outlining any planned interventions. The crisis has escalated in recent days after the university withheld salaries for striking lecturers in an apparent retaliation for their continued industrial action. The lecturers are demanding a return to pre-2018 wage levels of US$2,250 per month for junior staff — a steep increase from the current US$230. Obvious Vengeyi, spokesperson for the Association of University Teachers (AUT), slammed the move as an attempt to intimidate lecturers back to work. “Of course, it is an act of trying to force our members to return to work for the US$230 they initially rejected. It's a way of arm-twisting certain members of our community to resume teaching,” Vengeyi said. He added that the salary cuts had only strengthened the lecturers' resolve. “Many here who have not been paid have resolved that, whether they receive the US$230 or not, they will not return. Until junior lecturers get US$2,250, we will not go back to class.” The university has remained officially silent on the strike but has hired adjunct lecturers in an attempt to fill gaps left by striking staff. However, the AUT has dismissed the replacements as largely unqualified and ineffective. “There is no teaching happening at the university. No supervision is taking place. A few scabs have been hired to replace — sort of — the lecturers on strike,” Vengeyi added.