PSC accused of corruption in teacher recruitments

TEACHERS who qualified as far back as 2018 are still unemployed while the Public Service Commission (PSC) is allegedly recruiting graduates who completed their studies as recently as 2026, raising concerns over compliance with Government's first-come, first-served employment policy.

The graduate teachers have accused the PSC of corruption, nepotism and favouritism, demanding an explanation for the recruitment of newer graduates ahead of those who have been waiting for employment for years.

In a petition dated July 27, 2026, addressed to PSC Secretary Sibusisiwe Zembe and copied to commission chairman Vincent Hungwe, the teachers questioned the criteria used to select candidates for employment.

The petitioners demanded that the PSC investigate the recruitment process, warning that they would escalate the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Office if their concerns were not addressed.

The complaints followed the recruitment of 329 teachers last month to fill vacancies in Masvingo Province.

The appointments were confirmed in a letter written by Zembe to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Moses Mhike, a copy of which is in the possession of The Masvingo Mirror.

According to the recruitment list, one of the successful candidates graduated in 2026, while the majority graduated between 2023 and 2025. The list also includes one teacher who graduated as far back as 2014.

The petitioners, who requested anonymity for fear that speaking out could jeopardise their employment prospects, alleged that the situation was not confined to Masvingo but was occurring in other provinces.

"It has come to our attention, and to the attention of many concerned teachers, that individuals who registered for teaching posts in 2018 and 2019 have still not been offered employment, despite having waited for several years.

"We believe this recruitment exercise has been affected by corruption, nepotism and favouritism, rather than being conducted strictly on merit and order of registration," they wrote.

The teachers want the PSC to explain the criteria used in selecting candidates and why graduates who qualified more recently were allegedly employed ahead of those who had registered years earlier.

The allegations come against the backdrop of a prolonged unemployment crisis among graduate teachers in Zimbabwe, with some reportedly remaining on the job market for almost 12 years.

Many unemployed graduates have resorted to vending and other informal activities to survive, while others have sought employment in neighbouring South Africa and Botswana.

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said the recruitment of teachers was the responsibility of the PSC and referred questions to the commission.

"The recruitment process is conducted by the Public Service Commission, which chairs the recruitment committee. While the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is part of the process, the majority of the selection is done by the PSC. Our role is mainly to endorse the process," Ndoro said.

Attempts to obtain comment from Zembe were unsuccessful as her mobile phone went unanswered.

The teachers' concerns have placed renewed focus on transparency in public-sector recruitment and the need for clear, consistently applied criteria when filling teaching vacancies.