The government did not send the money deducted from teachers’ paychecks to their unions last month, causing financial problems for the unions.
Normally, the government sends these funds to the unions on the same day teachers receive their salaries.
However, in December 2024, the unions reported that the money was not sent, leaving them unable to pay their staff or cover other expenses. Teachers got their salaries on December 17.
Each month, teachers pay a subscription fee of about US$8 to US$10, which is taken directly from their salaries by the Salary Service Bureau (SSB).
Earlier this week, SSB Paymaster TwoBoy Shoko confirmed to <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200036542/govt-fails-to-remit-teacher-union-funds">NewsDay</a> that the payment had not been made yet. Said Shoko:
<blockquote>
I am processing the payments. They should be receiving the funds tomorrow.
Those who complained that they haven’t received the fund do not have the facts.
I am actually working on the payments.
</blockquote>
In November and December 2024, the government also delayed paying teachers the part of their salary that is in local currency.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

The government didn't send money from teachers' salaries to their unions last month. This caused financial problems for the unions. They couldn't pay their staff or cover expenses. Normally, the government sends this money on the same day teachers get paid. Teachers pay a subscription fee of about US$8 to US$10 each month that is deducted from their salaries by the Salary Service Bureau. The government also delayed paying teachers their local currency part of the salary in November and December 2024. The Paymaster said the unions will get their money soon.

Teacher Unions Face Financial Crisis After Payment Delay By Government

Teacher unions have urged the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) to protect the credibility of public examinations after 588 people were arrested over examination paper leakages this year.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZTA) secretary-general Goodwill Taderera said ZIMSEC should pay its staff meaningful salaries so that they won’t be tempted to leak examination papers. Said Taderera:
<blockquote>
Indeed, we have heard of the examination leaks and over 500 people were arrested, which means that all our examinations lose their integrity and credibility.
The widespread leaks mean that they fall far too short of the expected international standards. We do not support the leaks.
ZIMSEC must begin to take the examination process seriously, it must try to pay people well so that they do not leak the examination papers.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure claimed that some examination markers have recommended the nullification of the 2022 ZIMSEC ordinary level examinations due to “widespread” leakages. He said:
</blockquote>
The teachers, who are marking the examinations, have advised us that the situation is a disaster.
<blockquote>
The examiners have actually advised Zimsec to nullify the results. To deal with this, we need to set up a team to investigate what went wrong. As unions, we are ready to assist with investigations.
Remedial action will be recommended after thorough investigations, and we recommend that these examinations be nullified.
</blockquote>
Last week, ZIMSEC deputy director Farai Zisengwe said A” Level results will be out in early January, but it did not specify when the “O” Level examination results would be out.
He also said three subjects were leaked, including Mathematics, English Papers 1 and 2 and Combined Sciences Papers 1 to 3.
Zisengwe was appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200005426/protect-exams-integrity-teachers-urge-zimsec">NewsDay</a>

Teacher Unions Urge ZIMSEC To Take Examinations Seriously

Teachers’ unions have rejected claims by ZANU PF that they were being funded by “hostile” embassies to destabilise the country’s education system.
A report by the ZANU PF central committee submitted to the party’s 7th National People’s Congress held recently claimed that teachers were being paid by “hostile” embassies to continue with strikes.
However, unions representing teachers have hit back at ZANU PF, saying the ruling party was trying to find a scapegoat for its alleged failures.
Over the past few years, teachers and other civil servants have been pressing the government to restore the pre-October 2018 salary of US$540.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200003165/teachers-hits-back-at-zanu-pf">NewsDay</a>, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure said:
<blockquote>
ZANU PF has no solutions to the education crisis and it is desperately trying to scapegoat unions for its failures.
At ARTUZ, we are seized with coming up with solutions to the education crisis. We recently published an alternative financing model for public education.
We hope the ruling party will engage with the document and we won’t be dragged into ZANU PF’s shadowboxing.
The country is desperate for leadership and the party should stop complaining about foreigners and start leading.
</blockquote>
Educators Union of Zimbabwe president Tafadzwa Munodawafa said ZANU PF was misinformed. Said Munodawafa:
<blockquote>
We do not know who misinforms ZANU PF as a party and we refuse to be drawn into politics.
We are not worried about who the ruling party of this country is. What we do, as unions, is to represent the issues that affect our members.
We are a professional body whose members simply want the employer to pay us a living wage and to stop inflicting labour rights abuses thereby setting the correct example to all employers in the industry in general.
My advice is that those responsible for information dissemination to all organisations, departments, or individuals on issues that concern educators have the responsibility of doing the proper thing as education is a sensitive nerve of any country.
It should be treated with utmost sincerity as we risk killing this profession for future generations.
The children we are teaching right now don’t desire to become teachers based on how the profession is being treated.
</blockquote>

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