Zimbabwe, Rwanda sign deal to import teachers

Rwanda and Zimbabwe signed a memorandum of understanding that paves the way for Kigali to recruit teachers from the southern African country.

The MOU signed by Zimbabwe's Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister Paul Mavima and his Rwandan Education minister Valentine Uwamariya in Harare Thursday came months after Rwanda President Paul Kagame said his country needed to urgently recruit teachers from Zimbabwe to boost its education system.

Mavima said the agreement will protect the teachers against unethical recruitment practices.

"The signing of the MoU indeed enables both our countries to protect our citizens from the dangers of unethical and unfair recruitment practices, which nowadays characterise the recruitment of human capital across borders and foreign labour markets," he said.

"This partnership creates an avenue for both Zimbabwe and Rwanda to play a significant role in advancing the ideals of our continent as encapsulated in the continental development frameworks given the fact that human capital development is critical to delivering on both the Agenda 263 vision and the aspirations of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement."

The minister said the MoU had principles that promoted "decent work principles across the whole process of exchange of personnel and expertise, including critical issues in labour migration such as non-discrimination and portability of social security benefits."