Pressure continues to pile up on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Government after the country’s primary school heads backed the position of the teachers’ unions calling upon their members not to report for duty when most schools reopen on September 18.
The country’s teachers have vowed not to report for duty next week citing poor working conditions and lack of sufficient remuneration.
In concordance with the various unions representing the teachers, the National Association of Primary school Heads (Naph) said it shared the same concerns with the country’s teachers.
“Declarations that have been made by unions are clear and as NAPH we are in agreement with issues raised and our actions should speak louder than words,” partly wrote Rupere Kufakunesu Kufakunesu, the national secretary general for Naph in a memo seen by Zwnews.
“Maximum support is therefore expected from NAPH leadership at all levels,” Kufakunesu said.
As the phasal reopening of schools is already underway, Zimbabwe’s teachers have told their employer that they will not report for duty when the public examination classes open doors for the Third term- six months after the schools prematurely closed due to the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic in the country.
According to the 42 000-member Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta), the educators will not report for duty unless they get a Covid19 pay allowance and have their monthly earnings upped.
Zimbabwe’s teachers have been demanding a pay rise of US$520-plus.
The prevalent surge in inflation coupled with the episodic changes to Zimbabwe’s currency regime have eroded the value of teachers’ salaries to between $30 and $35 a month.
“All educators will not be able to report for duty on Sept. 28 for the opening of schools as they are incapacitated,” said Zimta in an emailed statement this week.
While the teachers have also been demanding payment of salaries in the United States dollars, the cash-strapped Zimbabwe Government could fail to meet the demands amid acute shortages of foreign currency and an annual inflation currently pegged at 761%.
Since assuming power on the back of a military coup euphemistically referred to as Operation Restore Legacy in November 2017, the so-called New Dispensation has continued to face unrest in the public sector and as the virtually impotent local currency continues to tumble.
Zwnews
