university strikes and the economy.

Zimbabwe’s education is faced with more problems as the country’s tough economic conditions worsen –just last week, 3 government universities  shut down as lectures, non academic stuff down tools due to outstanding salaries.

Students  from the University of Zimbabwe, NUST and MSU missed their lectures as lecturers had downed their tools, demanding their bonuses and February salaries.

Lecturers and non-academic staff at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) reportedly went on strike Tuesday 17 March demanding that government pays them outstanding February salaries.

The decision was announced at a meeting addressed by the Nust Educators Association (Nusteda) at the university's campus.

"We met as academic and non-teaching staff and agreed to down our tools until government pays us our February salaries and December bonuses.

“This time the strike will cripple operations at the university because even the non-teaching staff have also joined in," said a lecturer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Government has been failing to pay civil servants since the controversial 2013 elections. At times the pay dates were shifted without notice and some government departments were given their bonuses in February.