Zimbabwe Parliament Move A Motion For Teachers’ Salaries

By Shingirai Vambe

Harare – It is very unfortunate the Minister of Finance doesn’t go into the rural area to find out what is happening in the market, Buhera South Legislator, Joseph Chinotimba told Parliament during a salary debate this afternoon.

We cannot talk of surplus when we can’t pay our civil servants good salaries. Added Chinotimba

In a motion moved by Bikita East Legislator, Johnson Madhuku in Parliament today, members of parliament debated and agreed that Zimbabweans are getting poorer by day as the public service is failing to meet civil servants’ demands so as to remain with disposable income.

Hon Chinotimba told parliament that Zimbabweans in the rural areas are using US dollars at a black market rate of 1:130 while the government insist on the use of RTGS and the Reserve bank of Zimbabwe auction system.

“I was troubled when I went to a local hospital and found one teacher being asked to top up her medical aid fee of USD $100 to get assisted at the hospital yet they are getting USD $120.

It is high time Public Service Commission, Government and employers come on board and deal with this challenge we are having in Zimbabwe” said Chinotimba.

Gokwe, Chireya Legislator Tonderai Moyo suggested that civil servant be awarded none monetary incentives, but other legislators cited government policies which will not support such motions such as the free duty for civil servants, government recently banned the importation of cars below 2010, they are way beyond their means.

“Teachers should be given an exemption for their children not to pay tuition at government institution, while they get decent housing and be among the beneficiaries of the 560 farms waiting to be allocated” said Moyo.

Edwin Mushoriwa, Dzivarasekwa Member of Parliament, said not all civil servants want farms, cars or house, Civil servants require adequate salaries not supervision, including parliament staff, they are not happy with their salaries.

“This is the call that we have been making for two years now, I want to thank Hon Madhuku for moving this motion, at least legislators here your eyes have been opened. Indeed they cannot be open at once, our teachers are incapacitated” Mushoriwa said.

He further added the move by minister of information of threating teachers,  the government came up with a no work no pay policy, which is affecting children in government and council schools teachers will attend but not teach, he said.

“How do you threaten a hungry person” said Mushoriwa.

Earlier the Ministry of Education, Public service commission and parliament met in Mutare after a petition was submitted to parliament by teachers unions.
Young female legislator, Tatenda Mavetera said the reason why we are receiving many cases of corruption, bribery and extortion from the security sector it is because of poor remunerations.

The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Francis Mudenda urged members who had gathered for the meeting to look into ways of motivating teacher and the rest of civil servants to get good results.

“Teacher capacitation remains fundamental at this moment in time. Let me reiterate the urgent need to address the welfare of the frontline workers in the education sector, the teachers. You will agree with me that if we retain our proficient teachers and have them perform at highest level of qualitative application to duty, it is critical that they are highly motivated as was the case in the early 1980s” Said Mudenda.