The Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) is yet to pay some examiners who marked the 2021 Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations, several months after they completed the exercise.
In previous years, the markers would receive their dues soon after completing the tasks or before the release of the results.
One of the affected markers who spoke to NewsDay on condition of anonymity said:
It appears ZIMSEC is no longer concerned about our payments because the results are already out.
We signed our contracts early this year and the value of the funds has been depreciating over the months.
ZIMSEC should review our allowances in view of the rise in the cost of living.
This is to ensure that we benefit from the actual value.
ZIMSEC spokesperson Nicholette Dlamini said the examinations body was still processing the payments.
She, however, said the examiners will be paid according to what was agreed regardless of the depreciation of the local currency. Said Dlamini:
Examination markers are being paid, so I am not sure which markers are claiming that they have not been paid.
At the moment, ZIMSEC is in the process of depositing the funds into the examiners’ accounts, which started this week and the process will be complete by the end of this week.
In terms of the difference due to deprecation, I cannot comment on that. We will pay them according to what we agreed.
As for their grievances, they know our structures and how to present them.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) secretary-general Goodwill Taderera said some markers received their payments from ZIMSEC last week but the money had already lost its value.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond Majongwe accused ZIMSEC of trivialising the importance of teachers.
Meanwhile, NewsDay reported insiders as saying ZIMSEC is struggling with finances hence its failure to pay the markers on time.