Zimbabwe govt mum on teachers' distress petitions

The government has yet to respond to a petition submitted by teachers demanding a salary increase and improved working conditions following the start of the second school term. Teacher unions presented their grievances to the Finance Ministry and the Public Service Commission (PSC) but have not received any formal reply.

Earlier, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) had submitted a similar petition before schools reopened, while the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) later sent a delegation to President Emmerson Mnangagwa's office seeking his intervention on the salary challenges and other issues plaguing the education sector. The delegation did not meet the president but submitted a petition warning that the education system is "crumbling under his watch."

Teachers are decrying low salaries and are demanding to be paid at least US$540, the amount they earned before October 2018. Currently, most teachers earn an average of only US$250 per month alongside around ZWL3,000 in local currency.

PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou expressed frustration over the government's silence on the issue, warning that unresolved grievances threaten the collapse of the education sector. He emphasized the importance of binding collective bargaining in line with national laws and International Labour Organisation conventions to foster industrial harmony and improve productivity, but said these efforts have been ignored.

"Sadly, our efforts have not been corroborated by the government that has remained intransigent and irresponsible," Zhou said, revealing that a government team had informed workers through the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) that the government had nothing to offer its workers.

He further stressed the critical role of teaching, calling it "the mother of all other professions," and condemned what he called "grandstanding and renegadeism" by groups opposed to calls for better salaries and conditions.

Similarly, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) leader Obert Masaraure criticized the government for prioritizing "executive luxuries" while neglecting hardworking public servants. He accused officials of funding extravagant lifestyles abroad at the taxpayers' expense while ignoring critical sectors like education and healthcare.

Masaraure said unions are mobilizing citizens to save public services from collapse and warned that civil service unrest demanding labor justice could soon erupt.

Zimta chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu confirmed widespread dissatisfaction among teachers about their remuneration. He revealed that the union has held multiple high-level meetings with the employer in search of a salary resolution, but progress remains elusive.

Attempts to obtain comment from the PSC were unsuccessful, with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education referring inquiries back to the commission.

Negotiations under the NJNC have repeatedly stalled, with the education sector continuing to suffer from years of underfunding and neglect. The low salaries currently paid to teachers remain a major source of discontent across the country.