A delegation from the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) delivered a petition to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office on Tuesday, appealing for immediate intervention to address rapidly deteriorating salaries and worsening conditions in the country’s education system.
Although the teachers were unable to secure a face-to-face meeting with the President, they submitted a formal letter outlining their concerns. The petition described Zimbabwe’s education sector as “crumbling” under Mnangagwa’s leadership and demanded urgent reforms to prevent further decline.
At the heart of the union’s demands is the restoration of pre-October 2018 salary levels, pegged at US$540. Some union members are advocating for a significant increase to US$1,200, citing inflation and soaring living costs. Currently, Zimbabwean teachers earn an average of just US$250 per month, supplemented by roughly ZiG3,000 in local currency—a figure the union describes as wholly inadequate for a dignified life.
PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe confirmed that the petition was submitted on Tuesday.
“We submitted our petition to President Mnangagwa’s office for his perusal today,” said Majongwe.
“We hope to see some action being taken by his government. We have done our best under the circumstances.”
The move comes on the heels of yet another failed salary negotiation under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC), which ended in deadlock on May 16, 2025. No new salary offer was tabled by the government during that meeting, deepening frustration among educators.
The PTUZ petition pointed out that the last meaningful salary review occurred in July 2024, amounting to a modest US$20 increase. The union argues that this adjustment barely made a difference, as teachers opened schools this term “disgruntled over low salaries and poor working conditions.”
In the document, teachers expressed dismay at what they perceive as the government’s lack of appreciation for their role in national development.
Teachers urge Mnangagwa to act on low pay and collapsing education sector
“We are surprised that the government is neglecting its patriotic teachers, who have consistently delivered a lot for the nation with very little and have been responsible for manning the country’s precious resource, viz, the children,” the petition reads.
The union further accused the government of engaging in bad faith over the years, failing to prioritise educators or meaningfully address their grievances.
“We are disturbed that the government seems to have deliberately opted to perform educational harakiri by subjecting teachers to abject poverty.”
Another major concern raised was the negative impact of poor remuneration on the profession’s attractiveness. The union warned that more qualified individuals are being driven away from the field due to unsustainable wages, creating a growing recruitment and retention crisis.
“Your Excellency, the situation obtaining right now in the education sector is deplorable,” the petition stated.
“Teachers are seriously incapacitated and suffering due to the very low salaries they are getting.”
The PTUZ cautioned that the failure to address this issue has far-reaching consequences, not only for the quality of education but also for the moral and psychological well-being of teachers themselves.
“The poor salaries have pushed many teachers into debt, drug abuse, divorces, suicides, corruption and other vices,” the document claims.
“Our prayer, Your Excellency, is that this petition is treated with the urgency it deserves. Teaching is the maternity ward for all professions in this country, and it is only when the midwives (teachers) are happy that the country can move forward.”
Efforts to get a response from Presidential spokesperson George Charamba were unsuccessful, as calls to his office went unanswered at the time of publication.
In a related development, NewsDay reported that more than 15,000 teachers leave the profession annually due to poor working conditions, highlighting the gravity of the crisis facing Zimbabwe’s education system.
As teachers continue to push for better pay and improved working conditions, all eyes are now on Mnangagwa’s administration to see whether their plea will trigger decisive government action—or deepen the standoff that has strained Zimbabwe’s education system for years.
Source- Bulawayo24
