By Agness Changala
Eight unions of public universities have said Education minister Douglas Syakalima, is a minister of desks, mattresses and production units, because he has failed the Higher Education Sector.
The unions have demanded that the Ministry of Higher Education be established and a new minister appointed to head it.
The unions include the University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU), Copperbelt University Academic Union (CBUAU), University of Zambia Professional Staff Union (UNZAPROSA), Mulungushi University Academic and Professional Staff Union (MAUPSU), Copperbelt University Senior Staff and Allied Union (CUSAWU), Copperbelt University and Allied Workers Union (CBUAWU), University of Zambia and Allied Workers Union (UNZAAWU) and Kwame Nkrumah University Academic Staff Union (KNUASU).
In a press statement covering the challenges faced with public universities in Zambia, the unions have observed that combining the Ministry of Higher Education and General Education into one Ministry of Education was one the mistakes the government made.
They have said the current Ministry of Education is more biased towards general education at the expense of higher Education, saying it appears the top staff at the ministry have background and experience in General Education.
“The minister himself has not helped the situation and has also followed the tone set by the senior staff at the ministry. The only time he is seen to be involved in Higher Education matters is when he is attending graduation ceremonies of which thereafter, he jumps into his vehicle and drives off without engaging stakeholders,” the unions said.
They have said the minister and his permanent secretaries seem to be lost in a thick jungle of so many primary and secondary schools, where they are occupied with desks, and issues of reviving the production unit.
The unions have accused the minister and his permanent secretaries of not responding to any enquiry and correspondence from key stakeholders like trade unions.
“The minister has even failed to recruit even a single Vice Chancellor in any public University from the time he was appointed. He is too slow to take action and seems only to enjoy travelling around. In our opinion, the minister has failed the Higher Education sector and he is simply a minister of desks, mattresses and production units,” they said.
The unions have since urged the appointing authority to move Syakalima to another ministry like community development.
They have said in order to serve the Higher Education sector better, they are recommending the establishment of a separate ministry of Higher Education, the establishment of an additional position of permanent secretary Higher Education as opposed to having only director Higher Education.
The unions have further suggested the transfer of Higher Education to the Ministry of Science and Technology where a position of permanent secretary should be established.
Meanwhile, the unions say it is astonishing that the budget allocation to individual public universities for 2024 has been reduced amidst high inflation and astronomically increased cost of living.
They have said inadequate funding has far reaching implications on the quality of education, research capabilities and the overall development of the country.
The union says inadequate funding impacts the quality of education offered by public universities, hampers the ability of universities to conduct meaningful research, hindering the country’s capacity for technological advancement and solutions to local challenges.
They have further observed that inadequate funding also results in brain drain, limited access to higher education, delayed salaries and unpaid gratuities and pensions among other challenges facing public universities.
They have urged the government to increase funding to public universities to adequately cover operating costs, faculty salaries and infrastructure development.
The unions have also called for increased funding to conduct research and address the brain drain.
They have said they find it reckless that the government has reduced budgetary allocation to public universities as it may imply wage freeze which may result in employee acrimony and subsequent industrial unrest.
The unions have also said they are concerned at the trend that Syakalima has allowed in public universities where principal officers such as Vice- Chancellors, Deputy Vice-chancellors and in some cases registrars, chief financial officers and Librarians have continued to operate in acting capacity for the last two years, a trend they say is against the principal of good corporate governance.
They said the absence of substantive officers in public universities has led to a leadership vacuum and crisis, which has negatively impacted the operations of the universities.
The unions have also demanded the appointment of new Vice Chancellors and deputies to fill up the vacant positions at the universities among demands they have made in order to promote the smooth running of the universities.
