A GROUP of teachers visited President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s offices on Tuesday seeking his intervention over poor salaries and various challenges bedevilling the education sector.
The teachers, under the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, however, did not meet Mnangagwa, but submitted a petition warning him that the education system was crumbling under his watch.
Teachers are decrying low salaries and are demanding that the government must pay them at least US$540, which they were earning before October 2018.
Some have even bumped up the figure to US$1 200.
Teachers have, over the years, been at loggerheads with the government over low salaries.
Currently, teachers earn an average of US$250 per month and around ZiG3 000, respectively.
The government has held several negotiations with its workers under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC), which, in most cases, have ended in deadlock as the authorities refuse to give in to employees’ demands.
“We submitted our petition to President Mnangagwa’s office for his perusal today,” PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe told NewsDay yesterday.
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“We hope to see some action being taken by his government. We have done our best under the circumstances.”
In the petition, the teachers said the last salary adjustment was a paltry US$20 effected in July 2024, and the NJNC meeting held on May 16, 2025 did not bring any offer for workers from the government and ended in deadlock.
They said 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,” part of the petition read.
“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.
“We are seriously concerned that teaching is no longer attracting the best brains in the country because of poor salaries, and knowing fully that this country is endowed with resources, especially minerals, in their various forms and shapes that can sustain the salaries of teachers.”
The teachers pleaded for Mnangagwa’s intervention to ensure teachers are well paid.
“Your Excellency, the situation obtaining right now in the education sector is deplorable,” the petition read.
“Teachers are seriously incapacitated and suffering due to the very low salaries they are getting.”
They said Mnangagwa should intervene and save the education sector, which was 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 said.
“We strongly believe that some of these problems can only be solved by paying teachers meaningful salaries.
“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.”
Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba was not picking calls when NewsDay tried to contact him for a comment.
Yesterday, NewsDay reported that over 15 000 teachers were leaving the profession every year due to poor working conditions.
