News / National
Teachers doorstep Mnangagwa over poor salaries
3 hrs ago | Views
A delegation of teachers from the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) visited President Emmerson Mnangagwa's offices on Tuesday to seek urgent intervention over deteriorating salaries and worsening challenges in the education sector.
Though the teachers did not secure a meeting with the President, they formally submitted a petition expressing grave concerns that Zimbabwe's education system was "crumbling" under his administration.
The union demands a reversal to at least the pre-October 2018 salary levels of US$540, with some teachers pushing for a raise to as much as US$1,200. Currently, teachers earn an average of about US$250 monthly and approximately ZiG3,000 in local currency-levels the union says are insufficient for a decent living.
For years, teachers and the government have been at an impasse over salary increments, with negotiations under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) frequently stalling. The latest NJNC meeting on May 16, 2025, ended in deadlock, with no new offer tabled by authorities.
"We submitted our petition to President Mnangagwa's office for his perusal today," PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe told NewsDay.
"We hope to see some action being taken by his government. We have done our best under the circumstances."
The petition highlighted that the last salary adjustment was a meager US$20 increase implemented in July 2024, which teachers say fails to address their hardships. The teachers noted they opened schools last week "disgruntled over low salaries and poor working conditions."
"We are surprised that the government is neglecting its patriotic teachers, who have consistently delivered a lot for the nation with very little and have been responsible for manning the country's precious resource, viz, the children," the petition reads.
"We are disturbed that the government seems to have deliberately opted to perform educational harakiri by subjecting teachers to abject poverty and has never engaged teachers in good faith over the years."
The petition also warns that poor salaries are driving a crisis in teacher recruitment, pushing away the best minds from entering the profession despite Zimbabwe's abundant natural resources that could support better pay.
"Your Excellency, the situation obtaining right now in the education sector is deplorable," the petition pleads.
"Teachers are seriously incapacitated and suffering due to the very low salaries they are getting."
The union calls on Mnangagwa to intervene to save the education system, which it says is "on the verge of collapse."
"The poor salaries have pushed many teachers into debt, drug abuse, divorces, suicides, corruption and other vices you may think of," the petition adds.
"Our prayer, Your Excellency, is that this petition is treated with the urgency it deserves. Teaching is the maternity ward for all professions in this country and it is only when the midwives (teachers) are happy that the country can move forward."
Efforts to reach Mnangagwa's spokesperson George Charamba for comment were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered.
In a related report, NewsDay revealed yesterday that over 15,000 teachers leave the profession annually due to poor working conditions, underscoring the severity of the crisis facing Zimbabwe's education sector.
Though the teachers did not secure a meeting with the President, they formally submitted a petition expressing grave concerns that Zimbabwe's education system was "crumbling" under his administration.
The union demands a reversal to at least the pre-October 2018 salary levels of US$540, with some teachers pushing for a raise to as much as US$1,200. Currently, teachers earn an average of about US$250 monthly and approximately ZiG3,000 in local currency-levels the union says are insufficient for a decent living.
For years, teachers and the government have been at an impasse over salary increments, with negotiations under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) frequently stalling. The latest NJNC meeting on May 16, 2025, ended in deadlock, with no new offer tabled by authorities.
"We submitted our petition to President Mnangagwa's office for his perusal today," PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe told NewsDay.
"We hope to see some action being taken by his government. We have done our best under the circumstances."
The petition highlighted that the last salary adjustment was a meager US$20 increase implemented in July 2024, which teachers say fails to address their hardships. The teachers noted they opened schools last week "disgruntled over low salaries and poor working conditions."
"We are surprised that the government is neglecting its patriotic teachers, who have consistently delivered a lot for the nation with very little and have been responsible for manning the country's precious resource, viz, the children," the petition reads.
"We are disturbed that the government seems to have deliberately opted to perform educational harakiri by subjecting teachers to abject poverty and has never engaged teachers in good faith over the years."
The petition also warns that poor salaries are driving a crisis in teacher recruitment, pushing away the best minds from entering the profession despite Zimbabwe's abundant natural resources that could support better pay.
"Your Excellency, the situation obtaining right now in the education sector is deplorable," the petition pleads.
"Teachers are seriously incapacitated and suffering due to the very low salaries they are getting."
The union calls on Mnangagwa to intervene to save the education system, which it says is "on the verge of collapse."
"The poor salaries have pushed many teachers into debt, drug abuse, divorces, suicides, corruption and other vices you may think of," the petition adds.
"Our prayer, Your Excellency, is that this petition is treated with the urgency it deserves. Teaching is the maternity ward for all professions in this country and it is only when the midwives (teachers) are happy that the country can move forward."
Efforts to reach Mnangagwa's spokesperson George Charamba for comment were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered.
In a related report, NewsDay revealed yesterday that over 15,000 teachers leave the profession annually due to poor working conditions, underscoring the severity of the crisis facing Zimbabwe's education sector.
Source - newsday
