Education ministry to seek 8000 workers

The ministry of Primary and Secondary Education needs an additional 8 500 workers amid reports that 96% of its budget goes towards salaries.

According to minister Lazarus Dokora the staff shortage is crippling operations.

"We hope that we will get more money so that we fill that gap which affects our operations.

"So far we have conducted workshops and trained about 70 000 teachers on the new curriculum whose implementation will bring about many changes," he told a pre-budget workshop last week.

However, several months ago Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa came under attack from the Cabinet when he announced massive job cuts of 25 000 , reducing the workforce to 273 000 by the end of 2017, slashing of salaries and suspension of bonuses for two years.

Labour minister Prisca Mupfumira on the other hand recently said government has 'no retrenchment plan'.