According to section 59D of the Manpower Planning and Development Act [Chapter 28:02], as amended by Act No. 12 of 2020, the tertiary education service shall consist of the following persons
- members of the Tertiary Education Council; and
- every person who occupies a post in the technical and vocational institutions and teacher’s colleges; and
- every person, who is employed to assist any person referred to in paragraph (a)
59B Functions of Tertiary Education Service Council
(1) Subject to this Act and any other enactment, the functions of the Council or its delegated authorities, shall be—
- to appoint persons to technical or vocational institution and teacher’s colleges to, whether as permanent members or on contract or otherwise, to assign and promote them to offices, posts and grades and to fix their conditions of service; and
- to inquire into and deal with complaints made by members;
- to exercise disciplinary powers in relation to members;
- to formulate, develop and implement measures and policies
designed to—
- co-ordinate and integrate the functioning and operations of members of technical or vocational institution and teacher’s colleges; and
- ensure the provision and promote the enhancement of efficient professional services by members of technical and vocational institution and teacher’s colleges;
and
(e) to encourage dialogue between the Government, and the institutions of technical or vocational institution and teacher’s colleges and to implement Government policy on any matter relating to the tertiary education; and
(f) to hear appeals referred to it in terms of this Act; (g) to exercise any other functions that may be imposed or conferred upon the council in terms of this Act or any other enactment.
(2) The Council shall exercise its functions under this Act in a manner that ensures the well-being and good administration of tertiary institutions and its maintenance in a high state of efficiency.
(3) Except as is otherwise provided in this Act, the Council shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority in the exercise of its functions under the Act.
(4) In the interests of ensuring the greatest degree of delegation of decision-making functions consistent with good administration, the Council, in consultation with the Minister, shall—
- ensure that the functions vested in it by or under this Act are delegated wherever practicable to management of technical or vocational institutions and teacher’s colleges; and
- take such steps as are necessary to encourage the greatest possible delegation of decision-making functions within all technical or vocational institution and teacher’s colleges.
(5) A delegation of a function by the Council in terms of subsection
(1)(a)—
- may be made absolutely or subject to conditions; and
- may be amended or revoked at any time; and
- shall not preclude the Council from exercising the function so delegated.
(6) A person to whom the Council has delegated a function in terms of subsection (1)(a) may, with the consent of the Council, further delegate the function, either absolutely or subject to conditions, to any other member of the Tertiary Education Service who is under his or her control or authority.
(7) Where the Council has delegated a function in terms of subsection (4) to any person, any conditions or limitations applicable to the exercise of that function by the Council shall apply to the exercise of the function by the person to whom it has been delegated.
(8) Where a person has been or is about to be appointed to or promoted within the Tertiary Education Service pursuant to a power delegated by the Council in terms of subsection (1)(a), and the Council considers that—
(a) the person does not have the qualifications or ability necessary to carry out the duties of the position he or she occupies or will occupy, as the case may be; or
(b) his or her appointment or promotion has contravened or would contravene, as the case may be, any condition under which the power was delegated;
the Council shall without delay revoke the appointment or promotion or direct that the appointment or promotion shall not be made, as the case may be, and may take such other action in the matter as the Board think necessary:
Provided that—
- before taking any action in terms of this subsection, the Council shall give the person whose appointment or promotion is in issue and the person who appointed or promoted him or her or proposed to appoint or promote him or her, an adequate opportunity to make representations in the matter;
- where a person has been appointed or promoted and the Council is satisfied that the appointment or promotion was not effected as a result of any fraud or wilful misrepresentation on his or her part, the Council shall not revoke the appointment or promotion.
(9) This section shall not be construed as limiting any power which the Council or any other person may have under any other law to delegate functions to another person.
59C Constitution of Tertiary Education Service
The Tertiary Education service shall consist of the following persons—
- members of the Tertiary Education Council; and
- every person who occupies a post in the technical and vocational institutions and teacher’s colleges; and
- every person, who is employed to assist any person referred to in paragraph (a).
Institutions under TESC
| Polytechnics (9) | Teachers’ Colleges (14) | Industrial Training Colleges (8) |
| Bulawayo PolytechnicGweru PolytechnicHarare PolytechnicJoshua Mqabuko Nkomo PolytechnicKushinga-Phikelela PolytechnicKwekwe PolytechnicMasvingo PolytechnicMutare PolytechnicPlumtree Polytechnic | Belvedere Technical Teachers CollegeHillside Teachers CollegeHwange Teachers CollegeMadziwa Teachers CollegeMarymount Teachers CollegeMasvingo Teachers CollegeMkoba Teachers CollegeMorgan ZINTECMutare Teachers CollegeSeke Teachers CollegeUnited College of EducationBondolfi Teachers CollegeMorgenster Teachers CollegeNyadire Teachers College | Binga Industrial Training CollegeChivi Industrial Training CollegeDanhiko Industrial Training CollegeMsasa Industrial Training CollegeMupfure Industrial Training CollegeSchool of Tourism and HospitalitySt Peters Kubatana ITCWestgate Industrial Training College |
59E Tertiary Education Service Secretariat
(1) The Council shall appoint an individual as Secretary of the Tertiary Education Service Secretariat and such other members of staff as may be necessary for the proper functioning of the Tertiary Education Service.
(2) The Secretary shall, subject to the general control of the Council, be the Head of the Secretariat responsible for—
- managing the affairs of the Tertiary Education Service and implementing the decisions of the Council;
- providing technical advice to the Council;
- formulating the strategy and coordinating work programmes for the Tertiary Education Service;
- formulating administrative rules, guidelines and procedures to facilitate the achievement of the targets set up by the Council;
- exercising any other functions that may be imposed or conferred upon him or her in terms of this Act or any other enactment;
- supervising members of the Tertiary Education Service.
60. Powers to enter and inspect and obtain information
(1) Subject to subsection (7), the Secretary, or any person authorized by him in writing, may at all reasonable times enter and inspect any registered teachers college, technical or vocational institution or any hostel or premises at or attached thereto, for the purpose of—
- examining buildings, grounds and equipment in order to ascertain whether the provisions of this Act are being complied with or whether the registration of the college or institution should be cancelled or amended; or
- inquiring into the conduct, discipline and progress of students attending the college or institution, and the standard of teaching and qualifications of lecturers at the college or institution; or
- inspecting any accounts or records required to be kept at or in respect of the college or institution; or
- inquiring into the application of any fee, grant or other moneys paid to or received by the college or institution, whether in terms of this Act or any other law.