By Alois Vinga
THE government has effectively hinted that there will be no salary increments for struggling teachers, who are set to endure another school term amid hardships.
The third term of 2025 is expected to commence next Tuesday, September 9.
The country’s educators and the rest of civil servants report taking home US$270 plus local currency, which is way below the realistic cost of living.
During a parliamentary session this week, Glen View North legislator, Happymore Chidziva, took Labour and Public Service Minister, Edgar Moyo to task demanding to know what plans are in place to review teachers’ salaries to meet the poverty datum line and whether there are non-monetary benefits like fuel and housing.
In response, Moyo dodged the question, hinting that tough times for teachers are set to persist up to year-end.
“Our response is that the Government, through the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC), is continuously reviewing salaries and conditions of service for teachers and the wider civil service. These reviews are guided by the need to improve the welfare of educators while maintaining fiscal sustainability,” he said.
In addition to salary adjustment, Moyo said the government has introduced several non-monetary incentives including provision of land for housing development, duty-free vehicle importation facility, access to the Government Employees Mutual Savings (GEMS) scheme and ongoing efforts to expand institutional accommodation.
“The ministry continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to explore more innovative ways of cushioning teachers from economic pressures including school-based incentives supported through local communities and responsible authorities,” he added.
Zimbabwe is one of the few countries, which does not meaningfully reward its teachers and civil servants.
A June 2021 report stated that, comparing with other regional countries, Zimbabwean teachers got way below their peers. In Namibia, tutors earned 24,000 Namibian dollars per month, equivalent to about US$1,759 at that time. In Botswana, teachers’ salaries range from 5,970 to 22,700 Botswana Pula per month while Lesotho’s average salary in 2024 was around 11,800 Lesotho Loti (LSL) per month, or about $792.