Zimbabwe teachers demand salaries in US$

THE Zimbabwe Teachers Union has demanded that salaries for its members be paid in hard currency and warned that failure by authorities to meet the demand would have dire consequences for the country's education sector. The government has yet to respond to the threat.

In a statement Friday, the Zimbabwe Teachers Union (Zimta) said its members had been reduced to paupers by government's recent monetary policy measures that include a 2% transactional tax across the board that has triggered a near economic meltdown.

"In light of the prevailing economic situation in the country where service providers are demanding payments in foreign currency, we as teachers in Zimbabwe being the largest section of civil servants hereby demand to be paid our salaries in foreign currency forthwith.

"Having observed that we have been hardest hit by the recent monetary pronouncements and we are no longer in a position to meet our daily … commitments," Zimta spokesperson Nganunu Sibanda said in the statement.

Zimta warned that failure by authorities to meet the demand would have dire consequences for the country's education sector.

"Failure to meet the demand will definitely result in unforeseen consequences for the teaching fraternity.

"Our demands are informed by the fact that ….our salaries can no longer sustain our existence as teachers. The current salaries which are low and distorted have driven teachers into poverty and incapacitation," the union said.