Students who are under the Registrar of Apprenticeship and Skilled Manpower (RASM), have written an open to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development asking for assistance to get allowances that were gazetted by the government.
The government stated that the apprentices should be getting ZW$38 000 but the apprentices claim that they are being paid ZW$6 000. In a Twitter post directed to the Higher and Tertiary Education minister, Professor Amon Murwira, the apprentices said:
Minister we are Rasm Apprentices and we need an explanation kuti what is going on with our allowances. I have attached a copy of the proposed wages which we saw, but we are receiving a monthly wage of 5000 RTGS which is equivalent to 20 US, help us, Minister.
We are grateful hedu with the opportunities dzema training avanotipa but, come on, why mistreat people like that our contracts and your signed papers as per your agreements kumusoro ikoko say we must be getting something like 38k yet we getting 6000rtgs where is the rest 32k.
It’s like there is contradiction kumusoro ikoko n we are suffering hedu and as apprentices we are expected to buy our own tools pay own rents buy our own medicine they made us take medical aids but haasi kushanda and all that we must do it ne 6000rtgs apa set yema spanner 3k help.
The apprentices also reached out to Pindula News:
Pindula, I am a Rasm Apprentice and on behalf of other apprentices we need an explanation and clarification on what is going on with our allowances, furthermore, we haven’t been receiving our payslips. I have attached a copy of the proposed wages which were gazetted and to my surprise, we are receiving a monthly allowance of 5000 RTGS which is below the gazetted amounts. May you kindly help us in regards to the above issues. We have been trying to communicate with Zimdef but all was to no avail.
Professor Murwira could not be reached for comment.