The Day The Whole University of Zimbabwe Library Was Almost Auctioned Off

The University of Zimbabwe almost lost the whole library on Tuesday after it almost went under the hammer over a $300,000 debt.

Besides the library, over 100 cars were attached after two former employees Kwanele Muriel Jirira and Loius Masuko sought to have them auctioned to satisfy an award of damages emanating from an unfair dismissal.

Through its lawyers the UZ had the auction stopped while they appealed the case in the Supreme Court. They also had the UZ’s bank account with CBZ unfrozen.

The story is that the pair were two research fellows who were redeployed. They complained and were subsequently fired. A Labour Court awarded them damages, a decision which was upheld by the High Court.

Now, what we are saying here is that overnight, the kids at uni were about to be out of a library at what is supposed to be our best tertiary education institution. This is happening on our watch. We could still be the generation that lost a whole library because we make decisions that endanger national institutions.

Since the matter is sub-judice it is not entirely fair to comment but it is not without reason to think there was not a careful thinking of through of the matter when the two were fired. Someone didn’t follow procedure and we suppose they didn’t think there would be consequences.

If two courts made the same decision, is the Supreme Court appeal a case of delaying the inevitable?

With information from NewZimbabwe