WATCH LIVE as Gambakwe looks at the failure by the University of Botswana to pay salaries, only announcing this to staff on the salary payment date. The university has been clouded by negative publicity and is insolvent. The university has announced that it plans to cut 600 jobs by October 2024 and embark on a further voluntary retrenchment exercise thereafter.
There has been no new statement issued about the appointments made by the CCC of Fadzayi Mahere and Gift Ostallos Siziba in the CCC structures.
1. Construction has ground to a halt at Mbudzi interchange has ground to a halt.
2. ZANU PF Mazowe MP, Tsungai Makumbe accused of infecting his lover, Ludia Makuvure with HIV. Ludia is a member of FAZ.
3. Mnangagwa commends Blessing Shumba for the work at Manhizhe?
4. University of Botswana fails to pay salaries. Notice of failure to pay was sent on pay day.
5. Vice Chancellor David Norris blames delays on failure by government to release funding early.
6. Vice Chancellor Georges Ekosse resigned.
7. University begins retrenchments and is commercialising various areas.
8. Norris’s leadership qualities have been questioned.
9. Universities are struggling in Africa due to the new competing available platforms for learning.
10. Universities have to innovate and move away from the old models.
11. Similar challenges have been faced at the University of Zimbabwe and the Great Zimbabwe University. Both state funded Universities.
12. The staff complement of universities and its structures are no longer sustainable in the age of AI.
13. Knowledge is common, students don’t have to go to university to get skills.
14. Universities need to re-engineer.
15. All new Zimbabwe community radio stations that were licenced have collapsed.
The University of Botswana (UB) has a rich history that predates its official founding in 1982. Here’s a breakdown of its interesting past:
Early Beginnings (1946): UB’s roots can be traced back to 1946 when a Catholic vocational training college, Pius XII College, was established in Roma, Lesotho. This college would later play a crucial role in UB’s development.
University of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland (UBBS) (1964): In 1964, an agreement was reached to establish UBBS, a university serving the then British protectorates of Bechuanaland (Botswana), Basutoland (Lesotho), and Swaziland. This aimed to reduce their dependence on South Africa for higher education during the apartheid era.
University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (UBLS) (1966): With Botswana and Lesotho gaining independence in 1966, UBBS transformed into UBLS. This university offered programs in Arts, Science, Education, and Law.
University of Botswana (UB) (1982): In 1975, Lesotho departed from the partnership, leading to the establishment of UB as Botswana’s first national university in 1982.
UB has grown significantly since then, with campuses in Gaborone (the capital), Francistown, and Maun. It offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various faculties.
