Zimbabwe ready to pay teachers $18 000, cannot afford US$540 they want

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*HON. SEN. KOMICHI: Thank you Madam President.  My question is directed to the Minister of Social Welfare.  My question concerns teachers and school children.  Teachers are not reporting for work because of poor remuneration and children are there in schools but they are not learning.  This has taken a lot of time; this is tarnishing our image as a country. Is there no solution to ensure that the teachers get better salaries so that children receive education?

*THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA):  Thank you Madam President.  Yes, there is a challenge in schools.  Teachers are not reporting for work.  Most of the children are not learning and we have seen the bad behaviour of children because of the absence of teachers.

I agree with the Senator’s concern, but let me go back a bit, Madam President.  In January, the Government gave 140% as cost of living adjustment and in June the Government added another 50% cost of living adjustment.  In the same month in June, Madam President, the Government gave US$75 nostro as COVID allowance which was supposed to go for three months.  At the end of three months, the Government added another 40% and extended the US$75 nostro to December.  The teachers refused to go back to school.  This week on Tuesday, the Government added another 20% and it said to the teachers, we are adding another 10% which is directed to you because of the risk that you are going to come across when teaching the children.  This one for COVID is there.  The US$75 will remain until December but I do not see it as an allowance which is going to be removed when we get to December.  I think it is going to remain.

If you look at all that has happened, it will mean that the least paid civil servant will earn around $15 000 which means teachers will be getting between $18 000 and $19 000.  This is what the Government has done.  What I was thinking is that the Government has shown sincerity, it has shown concern for teachers.  I think they should go back to schools and we will still continue engaging whilst they are imparting education on our children so that we do not go back, but they are saying they want US$540 as minimum for teachers.

Madam President, our country had reached stability when it comes to the economy.  Our country had become stable on prices.  We were out of the trench and things were becoming normal.  There is no way we can give teachers US$540 or its equivalent without offsetting that stability.  We will go back into inflation.  So what is needed are dedicated teachers, Zimbabweans who are patriotic, who see where our economy is going so that they go back to work and the Government will continue negotiating with them and we will increase their salaries as we go on.  Where we have reached that a teacher will get between $18 000 and $19 000, they are now on the poverty datum lime.

We know that teachers are supposed to be above the poverty datum line but teachers should understand that we are fixing our economy and we should help each other henceforth so that our country will go on.  I do not think there is anyone in Zimbabwe who does not want us to get to be upper middle class by 2030.  We should not shoot ourselves in the foot.  How can we move forward?  That is my appeal to the Senators that I think that you should be voices that bring reason that the Government has done a lot.  The teachers should go back to work then we will continue reviewing their salaries within our ability.  As long as we get something from Treasury, we will review our teacher’s conditions.  We are not saying the conditions are good but we are looking at our economy side, our fiscas.  If we pay US$500, we will go to 97% going to salaries and things like roads will not be maintained, clinics will not be built, even the COVID response or even importing maize will discontinue if we channel 97% of our revenue to salaries.  Also it could cause serious inflation and it will upset the balance that we currently have.  I thank you Madam President.

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