Mnangagwa's govt fails to remit teacher union funds

The government has failed to disburse funds deducted from teachers' salaries for union subscriptions, throwing the teacher unions into financial disarray and leaving them struggling to meet financial obligations such as staff salaries and bills.

Normally, the funds deducted from teachers' monthly salaries, ranging between US$8 and US$10, are remitted to the respective unions on the same date that teachers receive their wages. However, this month, unions have reported that the funds have not been deposited, leading to financial instability within the unions.

Teachers received their salaries on December 17, but the funds intended for union subscriptions were not included, leaving union officials in distress as they were unable to fulfill financial commitments.

TwoBoy Shoko, a Paymaster at the Salary Service Bureau (SSB), confirmed to NewsDay that the payments had not been processed yet but assured that they were in the works.

"I am processing the payments," Shoko said. "They should be receiving the funds tomorrow. Those who complained that they haven't received the funds do not have the facts. I am actually working on the payments."

The delay in the remittance of funds comes on the heels of a previous delay in paying teachers their local currency component of the salary in the past month, which saw educators receiving their wages two weeks later than expected.

The latest issue has added to the financial strain on the unions, which rely heavily on these funds for their day-to-day operations, including paying staff and covering operational expenses.