A University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturer has taken urgent legal action to block the institution’s August 15 graduation ceremony, accusing the administration of rushing to award degrees despite serious flaws in exam results caused by a lecturers’ strike.
Dr Phillemon M. Chamburuka, representing the Association of University Teachers, is asking the High Court to issue an order stopping the Vice Chancellor, UZ Council, and other officials from going ahead with graduation. He wants the event delayed until an independent forensic audit of the 2024–2025 second semester is completed.
‘Degrees Could Be Worthless if Issued Now’
Dr Chamburuka argues that moving forward under the current circumstances would harm both students and the university’s reputation. He says some qualifications could later be invalidated if it is found they were based on faulty processes.
He paints a picture of a chaotic semester, where industrial action meant some courses were barely taught — or not taught at all. He says exams were set, moderated, and marked without the normal academic safeguards required by the university’s own rules.
Court papers include a confidential Senate report accusing the university of major lapses in teaching, supervision, and examinations. This includes inconsistent project marking, ignored invigilation standards, and skipped or improperly done grade moderation.
Administration Admitted to Gaps but Pushed Ahead
A memo from the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, dated May 27, admitted there were “serious gaps in the teaching and assessment cycle.” However, it suggested going ahead with exams anyway to protect the academic calendar.
Further correspondence on results points to discrepancies in grading, including cases where final marks differed significantly from moderated scores without any clear explanation.
The University of Zimbabwe Students Union also weighed in, warning that holding graduation while results are in doubt would tarnish the university’s name and undermine the value of its degrees.
Professional Body Raises Red Flag
The Council of Social Work has cautioned that graduates from flawed programmes could end up being registered as professionals despite lacking the necessary training and skills.
Dr Chamburuka says repeated attempts to engage the UZ Council were ignored. He filed the court application after the graduation date was posted on the university’s website.
The draft order asks the court to halt all preparations, force the university to commission an independent audit, and release its findings before awarding any qualifications.
University officials have not yet commented on the case, which is still awaiting a hearing date.
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