Is the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) Vice Chancellor Incompetent?

Before I put my sense to answering this question, I believe we should have a working definition of the subject matter –“incompetence.” The dictionary definition of incompetence is “inability to perform; lack of competence; or ineptitude.”

As defined, incompetence is itself a derivation from “competence,” hence it behoves me to establish the meaning of the later. By the same dictionary, competence is "the quality or state of being competent", i.e. able or suitable for a general role.

Lastly, the dictionary presents “competent” (which out of necessity I will define to complete the definition of the subject matter) as having sufficient skill, knowledge, ability or qualifications; adequate for the purpose. It therefore follows that incompetence is the quality or state of being unable or unsuitable for a general role, or a particular task having insufficient skill, knowledge, ability or qualifications; inadequate for the purpose.

The question I seek to answer would therefore be asked as, “Is the Harare Institute of Technology Vice Chancellor unsuitable for the role of Vice Chancellor? Does he have insufficient skill, knowledge, ability or qualifications, and is he inadequate for the purpose, viz. Vice Chancellorship of HIT?”

I will begin answering by describing the state of affairs at HIT, which have given rise to this question, and over which students have been repeatedly protesting, actions for which 6 of them were suspended by the VC. A response which the High Court of Zimbabwe reserved, deeming it unconstitutional and illegal.

HIT did not have electricity for most of the semester, the generator that powers campus having broke down at the beginning of the semester and never got fixed. The library generator that also powers parts of the administration block and Automotive Hall (Chief Tafara Mutembedza Hall) has frequently been misfiring, apparently overheating, and has either shut down or been shut down on these accounts. Due to this, students had to adjust their schedules to do all tasks that require electricity during the night, when ZESA power has been available.

Departments had to hold project presentations from cell phones, and there was serious theft on campus at night – for it was very dark at HIT. Students working on projects struggled to balance project and general academic courses at night, and bled finances to print documents at places around the HIT campus which always had electricity. Due to the lack of electricity, HIT sometimes went for days without water. Toilets and bathrooms became a serious unflushed and uncleaned health hazard.

I will not get into the lack of library space (the library can only take about a hundred people), the lack of a CONSISTENT WIFI [NONE AT ALL IN MOST PARTS OF CAMPUS], burst sewerage going for days unattended at hostels, rough sporting fields in which students have broken legs running, unmaintained gardens around campus, intimidation of students by the chief of security and security in general, laboratories which do not have consumables - yes, even salt, an absent Dean of Student Affairs, and many other issues which time may not permit me to lay out in this presentation.

I left out the fact that the university Administration set the semester to start on the Heroes and Defence Forces Holiday, only seeming to realize it on the very week – due diligence was nowhere to be found. By the way, students also leant the mid-semester break has been moved by a whole month on a Thursday, with the break due to begin the following Monday.

What has given so much credence to the question I seek to answer, however, is the fact that 3 classes failed to sit for computer based practical examinations, and this on 3 different days, because there was no electricity. The VC failed to plan for this possibility, and failed to adjust after the first incident?! What was scary is that there was no assurance similar examination coming after these would be written. So now students had to remain on campus after examinations officially ended, until a date the university announced they would have to sit to make up for the missed exams. I hope the university covered all student costs for the extended examination period. Well, If you fail to ensure exams are written, as a Vice Chancellor, what are you doing really? What is the point of the semester then? All the money parents are struggling to put together to put their children through college!... All of SWOT week did not have electricity by the way, and some days power did not even come on at night. It is also very sad to include that during the same exam period, students went for 2 days without water, which has led to the canteen rationing food and failing to provide food for supper on one of the days.

Now I am beginning to wonder if the fact that he is the only Vice Chancellor who is not a professor is contributing to this. Is he really unqualified (inadequate) to run an institute like HIT? Is it coincidence that the only Vice Chancellor with a Master’s degree, where all others are PhD’s – Professors, is also the worst performing? I make this assertion knowing HIT is the only university to ever face what it is facing. What baffles me is also the fact that this Vice Chancellor’s response to students demanding all these be addressed is a summary suspension of students. On top of suspending students who have not been on campus for over a year, the university now claims the students disrupted lectures on the 12th and 13th of November. There were no lectures on the 12th and 13th of November at HIT!

It is my conviction that the Vice Chancellor of the Harare Institute of Technology, Eng. Quinton C. Kanhukamwe is not only incompetent, but grossly so! He is personally responsible for disrupting learning and teaching at the university, and is a threat to the pride of current and former HIT students! How nauseating that after students excel despite all the obstacles thrown at them by this Vice Chancellor’s incompetence, he climbs the pulpit to announce to everyone how with minimum resources he keeps producing the finest products. What rank hypocrisy!

Saviour Machuwaire
Former HIT SRC President and a final year HIT Student.