ZIMTA Breathes Fire Over Bonuses

By Shingirai Vambe

The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) is sounding the alarm over the government’s failure to pay teachers’ salaries and bonuses for November 2024. The government’s omission of the ZiG component of some teachers’ salaries, as well as 50% of their bonuses, has caused significant financial hardship and raised questions about the government’s commitment to honoring contractual obligations.

ZIMTA is demanding an explanation for the delayed payments and calling for genuine dialogue regarding teachers’ welfare concerns. The union argues that the exclusion of the ZiG component from the November payment constitutes a breach of the terms of employment and erodes trust between employees and the employer.

This development comes on the heels of the government’s admission that it is facing financial constraints, citing a 43% depreciation of the ZIG. The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Finance, George Guvamatanga, acknowledged that this has resulted in a substantial mismatch between revenue inflows and local currency expenditures, severely constraining fiscal space for the last quarter of 2024.

Teachers have been expressing discontent over the non-payment of their salaries for the past two weeks, but the Public Service Commission (PSC) has yet to comment on the issue publicly.