The main contention is salaries and working conditions. Takavafira Zhou the President of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said: “The eclipse of misery enveloping teachers is too dark to imagine.” He also called for a quick resolution to the political impasse as there is no Minister of Education. Zhou said there is confusion in the education system because the “ship has been left without the captain.”
The former Minister of Education Aeneas Chigwedere did not even make it for the parliamentary elections in March after he lost in the ZANU PF primaries. But was appointed Governor of Mashonaland East by Robert Mugabe recently, leaving a hole in the ministry.
Zimbabwe is suffering record inflation exceeding 20 million percent and teachers’ salaries have not kept up with inflation. Because of the unstable environment the government had started increasing the teachers’ pay every month but the payments are being eclipsed by runaway inflation. The PTUZ president said: “Imagine, teachers are earning ZW$934 revalued, yet a pair of school shoes is costing ZW$9 000.” As a result the teachers resolved that until the government pays them a salary equivalent to US$800 per month they would not report for work.
Zhou said if the government has the ability to print money it should print for the teachers who play a vital role in the development of education in the country. “If it means printing, let them print because at any rate they always print to fund political activities.” He said the government’s priorities are misplaced as it paid officials working for the Basic Commodities Supply Side Intervention (BACOSSI) programme a daily payment that was more than a teacher’s monthly salary. The BACOSSI programme was largely seen as a political gimmick in the offer of humanitarian assistance, as the basic goods were still only accessible to ZANU PF supporters at the expense of the suffering population.
SWRadio Africa