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The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has said approximately 128 teachers are dying each month across the country due to stress caused by low salaries and poor working conditions.
In a statement, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said that the meagre salaries have led to a concerning rise in cases of suicide, divorce, and domestic violence among teachers. Said Zhou:
<blockquote>
Poverty and its resultant psycho-social effects are killing many teachers across Zimbabwe.
There has been a quantum leap of suicides, fatal domestic quarrels and divorces as a result of poor salaries in Zimbabwe.
Our research has shown that on average two teachers are dying in every district every month because of poverty and psycho-social stress. Cumulatively, 128 teachers are dying every month and 1,536 every year…
There is an urgent need to intervene by the line ministry, Public Service Commission (PSC) and government to ameliorate the high rate of attrition.
The intervention must be in the form of paying teachers a living wage rather than the current starvation wages they are receiving.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa will go down in history as a President who caused the death of many teachers in Zimbabwe through starvation.
</blockquote>
Before October 2018, teachers and other civil servants earned approximately US$540 per month. However, in October 2018, their salaries were converted to the local currency.
Currently, teachers are receiving around US$250 per month, plus less than ZiG2 000. The ZiG, however, cannot buy fuel and basic grocery items from the popular tuckshops.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Approximately 128 teachers are dying each month in Zimbabwe because their salaries are very low. The poor salaries are causing stress, leading to suicides, divorces, and domestic violence among teachers. The government needs to pay teachers more money so they can live better lives. Before October 2018, teachers earned more money, but now they are receiving very little, which is not enough to buy basic things like fuel and groceries. The president is being blamed for the teachers' deaths because of the low salaries. Teachers are asking for help from the government to improve their salaries so they can live better lives.

"128 Teachers Dying Every Month Due To Poor Salaries"

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has described the move by the Government to convert civil servants’ US$300 COVID-19 allowance into a salary as a mere “tissue of misrepresentation”, saying it will not improve teachers’ welfare.
The decision to turn the US$300 allowance into a salary was announced by the Minister of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment Promotion, Mthuli Ncube during the 2024 National Budget presentation.
Last week, members of the uniformed forces and the health sector received the allowances as proper salaries amid indications that State employees are now getting less than in previous years as their USD earnings are now being taxed.
Some unions representing civil servants, such as the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA), welcomed the conversion of the allowances into pensionable salaries.
However, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said the move was not a product of collective bargaining but was “a product of one-armed banditry”. Said Zhou (via <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/teachers-scoff-at-us300-salary-a-product-of-one-armed-banditry-says-union/">NewZimbabwe.com</a>):
<blockquote>
Talk that the new salary will transform the teachers’ plight. This is high-sounding nothing and tissue of misrepresentation considering a myriad of taxes and increases announced by the Finance Minister that cumulatively heap burning coals upon the heads of the workers.
Salaries must be a result of binding collective bargaining and not a product of one-armed banditry, and primitive exploitation of the employer in a manner tantamount to slavery.
It is only through logical disputation, broad engagement and social dialogue that there could be industrial harmony in schools…
We therefore call for the urgent restoration of US$540 basic salary of teachers, payment of US$80 education allowance in US$, and other host allowances such as infancy, class teacher, bloated class, A level and responsibility allowances in US$s.
</blockquote>
Over the past several years, civil servants have been demanding that the Government raise workers’ salaries to pre-October 2018 levels of US$540 per month for the least-paid employee.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Civil Servants' US$300 Salary "A Product Of One-armed Banditry", Says PTUZ

Teacher unions say the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) Ordinary and Advanced Level examination fees are too high and some learners may fail to continue with their education.
ZIMSEC set the 2023 examination fees at US$24 per subject but candidates will pay US$11, while the government pays the balance.
Advanced Level examination fees are at US$48, with candidates paying US$22, while the government pays the balance.
In a statement, the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) said civil servants will struggle to raise the examination fees for their children. Reads part of the statement:
<blockquote>
ZIMSEC pegged its registration fees to an equivalent of US$24 dollars per subject. This gives an average Ordinary Level candidate the cost burden of US$120 for a minimum of five subjects.
This is occurring in a context where the average civil servant is earning close to US$150 per month, hence making the examination fee way above their means.
It also means that the average learner will require more than four months to raise adequate funds to register for examinations while the Friday, April 14 deadline leaves students with less than six days to pay.
</blockquote>
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou concurred.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200010004/teachers-lament-inhumane-exorbitant-zimsec-fees">NewsDay</a>, Zhou said ZIMSEC should extend the registration deadline to give parents and guardians more time to raise the required examination fees. He said:
<blockquote>
The shift by ZIMSEC from US$22 to US$24 will heap burning coals upon the heads of thousands of Zimbabwean parents.
It is prudent for ZIMSEC to realise that many pupils will drop out of school due to exorbitant school fees.
Government must, therefore, make an urgent intervention to ensure that pupils can register for examinations.
Above all, the period of registration is too short, and an extension until schools open will provide parents with a breathing space to hunt for examination fees.
</blockquote>
Examination registration fees are pegged in USD and parents can make payments in ZWL, USD or ZAR.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

ZIMSEC Examination Fees "Unhumane" - Teachers

Teachers’ unions have blamed the “structural and ethical decay” at the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (ZIMSEC), and bad leadership in the government for recurring examination leakages.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure said poor salaries are pushing ZIMSEC workers to engage in corrupt practices. Said Masaraure:
<blockquote>
The ZIMSEC exam papers scandal is a reflection of the structural and ethical decay developing in our education system as a result of bad salaries and leadership in both government and the education sector.
Bad salaries breed desperate workers, who then resort to corruption as a way to survive.
</blockquote>
Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ) president, Takavafira Zhou, said ZIMSEC has lost all credibility. He said:
<blockquote>
The credibility of the ZIMSEC board is now in tatters. There is a clear lack of professionalism.
We want all children to write examinations which haven’t been leaked so that we measure their real potential.
</blockquote>
So far this year, two papers; Mathematics Paper 1 and English Paper 2 for Ordinary Level have leaked.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) revealed that so far eleven cases of exam leakages have been reported throughout the country. | <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/teachers-blame-poor-salaries-leadership-crisis-for-zimsec-exam-papers-leak/">NewZimbabwe.com</a>

Teachers' Unions Blame "Structural And Ethical Decay" For Exam Leakages

Teachers’ unions have said they’re ready to listen to a realistic salary offer by the government. A statement seen by Pindula News states that teachers are also planning to down tools if the government does not table any offer by the end of September 2022. Reads the statement dated 25 September 2022:
<blockquote>
Dear Members
This note serves to inform you, as well as the Public Service Commission, and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, that members of FOZEU (ARTUZ, EUZ, PTUZ and PEUZ) will not be able to report for work from 26 September. 
The latest offer by government to civil servants, a paltry $25 for the USD component only, is not enough to offset the herculian economic challenges facing our members. It is a known fact that our members were incapacitated before receiving their salaries, and remain incapacitated even after receiving the inconsequential salaries and the promised increment. 
We are calling on government to treat our situation with urgency and call for a realistic, all-inclusive meeting before the end of this coming week. We are also ready to listen to a realistic offer for our pauperized members.
If government has not tabled a realistic offer by the end of this month, we will take more robust action.
Yours faithfully
ARTUZ – Robson Chere +263 775643192 
EUZ – Tapedza Zhou +263 773612250
PEUZ – Wilson Makanyaire +263 773013406 
PTUZ – Raymond Majongwe +263 782702836
</blockquote>
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h2>

Teachers Say They're "Ready To Listen To A Realistic Salary Offer"

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has scoffed at the US$25 increment to public sector workers’ allowances by the government, describing it as too little.
On Tuesday, the government and public sector unions met under the National Joint Negotiating Forum where the new offer was tabled. 
Posting on Twitter on Tuesday, PTUZ said the paltry increment will lead to industrial action by teachers. It said:
<blockquote>
The govt, as usual, thinks it’s all a joke. An increment of only $25 when service providers have already wiped out more than that, really?
It would seem that govt is pushing teachers towards real action. It’s a dog’s breakfast.
</blockquote>
In a letter updating public sector workers on Tuesday on the outcome of the NJNC, Apex Council chairperson Cecelia Alexander said the wage increase is with effect from 1 September 2022. She wrote:
<blockquote>
The employer offered an increase of 25 % on the USD100 to make USD125 and maintained the USD75 Covid allowances to make the total USD package USD200 with effect from the 1st of September 2022.
The workers acknowledged the increase but chose to wait for specific modalities on how this is going to be implemented.
The employer did not offer or table any increase on the ZWL salary and the workers demanded that this be also reviewed without fail.
In the end, the government side asked for time out to consult.
</blockquote>

Teachers Union Say US$25 Pay Rise Is "A Joke"

Civil service union leaders will hold a meeting on Friday morning to deliberate on the way forward after the government failed to review civil servants’ salaries in September.
Last month, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube met with representatives of civil servants under the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) banner to discuss salaries and conditions of service.
During the meeting, Ncube said the government will consider increasing the US dollar component paid to public workers in September.
However, the government did not increase its workers’ salaries as they were expecting and this may result in job action by the restive civil service.
In a statement, PTUZ said the government has insulted teachers and the rest of the civil service (ROCS) by failing to improve their conditions of service. PTUZ said:
<blockquote>
Civil service unions meet this morning (Friday) to deliberate on the latest insult from govt.
The indication by the government that teachers and ROCS don’t matter will likely lead to the collapse of public sector services.
Govt can’t end the year the same way it started.
</blockquote>
Civil servants are currently getting US$175 in allowances but they are pushing for the restoration of their pre-October 2018 salaries of US$540.

Civil Service Unions Meet After Govt Fails To Review September Salaries

The Progressive Teachers Union Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has dismissed the recent announcement by Finance and Economic Development Minister Ncube on teachers’ remuneration and conditions of service as “a high sounding nothing.”
On Monday, Ncube announced a raft of measures to improve teachers’ conditions of service which include a 100% salary increase with effect from 1 July 2022.
Ncube also pledged to restore teachers’ advancements awards, provision of transport facilities to ferry teachers to work in urban and rural areas, provision of 34 000 institutional accommodation units, and the payment of school fees for up to 3 biological children per teaching family and the restoration of advancements awards.
In a statement, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said teachers will not accept any offer that doesn’t include the restoration of their salaries as of October 2018, pegged at US$540. Added Zhou:
<blockquote>
Any attempt to increase the current RTGs salary component ranging from $17 000 to $27 000 by 100% is a monument of Zimbabwean injustice in light of the increase in prices of basic commodities, and susceptibility to erosion by hyperinflation, an increase of medical services, utility bills and accommodation.
</blockquote>
Zhou said the Government’s pledge to provide institutional accommodation for teachers is “a fabrication of the worst order” and ” wishful thinking”.
He also dismissed the $20 000 offered by the government for school fees saying boarding fees are now more than $200 000 per term.
Zhou contended that the Government has no capacity to ferry teachers to workplaces adding, “at any rate, all the ZUPCO buses are not ideal for rural terrain and to assume that teachers are not aware of this is outright rubbish.”

Teachers Scoff At 100% Salary Hike, Accomodation And ZUPCO Pledges

Some schools have hiked school fees threefold ahead of the first term which commences on 10 January 2022.
According to NewsDay, some learning institutions are seeking approval to increase fees by around 300% to cushion themselves against the depreciation of the Zimbabwe dollar against major currencies on the parallel market.
The official exchange rate is about $109 to the United States dollar but on the parallel market, where most firms get foreign currency, the Zimbabwe dollar trades at $230 to the greenback.
Some parents who spoke to NewsDay claimed to have received payment advice from schools that were only valid for a few days. Said one of the parents:
<blockquote>
My child has been accepted at a top private school in Gweru. The fees are US$900, but in Zimdollars the fees are pegged at $216 000.
If I do not pay within a week, the local currency figure changes to reflect whatever exchange rate movement would have taken place.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) secretary-general Japhet Moyo predicted a gloomy 2022 for parents and guardians. Said Moyo:
<blockquote>
Most school development committees have already told parents that fees have more than doubled coming into the next year while salaries remain low.
What it means is that there might be dropouts or children will have to be transferred to cheaper schools, come next year.
Those (workers), who went to their rural homes might not come back if they don’t have livestock to sell.
The cost of living has just gone up and looking at all the other fundamentals, 2022 is not going to be a stroll in the park.
</blockquote>
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said civil servants may not be able to pay school fees for their children. He said:
<blockquote>
Teachers and civil servants won’t be able to send their children to school in 2022. Already we have noted that most private schools, which are owned by the politicians, are charging fees in US dollars.
Those schools run by the government are looking to charge four to five times more than they did last term if they are to offer quality education.
</blockquote>
Majongwe said that unless the Government pays its workers US dollar salaries, tough times lie ahead for civil servants.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2021/12/school-fees-shocker-for-parents/">NewsDay</a></h4>

Schools Seek Approval For 300% Fees Hikes

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has called on the government to give teachers a financial rescue package that will sustain them until their next payday.
In a statement this Monday, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said teachers are willing to report for duty but are financially incapacitated and therefore they cannot travel to their workstations. Said Zhou:
<blockquote>
As PTUZ, we appeal to Government to mellow down to a more constructive approach, permeable to reason and facts.
Government must urgently offer teachers a rescue package that can take them to the next payday.
However, by the end of a time-framed short period, Government can commit itself to provide a panacea to teachers’ legitimate concern over the restoration of the purchasing power parity of their salaries.
Without such an envisaged rescue package it will be mission impossible for many teachers to report for work.
Teachers’ incapacitation is real and government must bail out teachers.
</blockquote>
Zhou bemoaned the government’s failure to restore the purchasing power parity of teachers’ salaries since October 2018.
Teachers want US$540 per month or its equivalent in Zimbabwe dollars, a demand government officials have consistently dismissed as unrealistic. Added Zhou:
<blockquote>
The November 2020 promises to redress teachers’ salary anomalies by January 2021 were high sounding nothing, and even the extension of such promises to June 2021 failed to materialise.
Teachers are parents too, and with some earning as little as $21000 this month, we wonder how government expect them to pay school fees as high as $62000 in government schools this term.
Teachers are ready to report for work even if they are given a mere rescue package to enable them to function up to payday when we expect the government to holistically resolve the long-standing challenges facing teachers.
The ball is, therefore, in Government’s hands, to positively intervene, engage teacher unions, pay a rescue package and ensure the successful opening of schools.
</blockquote>
Schools opened their doors for examination classes, that is, Grade Seven, Form Four and Form Six, today and the rest will resume classes on 6 September.
<h4>More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h4>

Teachers Request For A Rescue Package From Govt

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has slammed the government for announcing the dates for the resumption of classes barely 24 hours after extending the COVID-19 lockdown.
On Tuesday evening, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa announced the extension of the national lockdown by another two weeks.
But following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Mutsvangwa said examination classes would open on 30 August 2021, while non-examination classes would open on 6 September.
In a statement yesterday, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said the government had “ambushed” teachers and parents as it did not give them time to prepare for the reopening of schools.
Below is Zhou’s statement on teachers’ reaction to the government’s school reopening time frames in full:
<blockquote>
We have not yet received formal communication from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in terms of time frames for the reopening of schools, but understand that such time frames were given today by the government.
Against even its own indicators, we are really surprised that the government has enunciated that examination classes would open on 30 August 2021, while non-examination classes would open on 6 September.
This is surely an ambush, a day after the government had even enunciated an extension of lockdown for two weeks which ordinarily entailed that the issue of opening of schools would be determined after two weeks.
Teachers Unions also made suggestions for the successful reopening of schools and one would have thought that there would be an attempt to reconcile various Union submissions before the government would announce the dates for reopening of schools.
However, this has not happened as the tragedy in life is that those who make decisions may not necessarily have ideas, while those with ideas (teachers) do not make decisions.
Our projection as Ptuz was to the effect that schools could open around September payday taking advantage of hot temperatures and more vaccination to contribute to the decline of COVID-19 cases and giving the government adequate time to provide covid abatement equipment to schools, let alone providing running water to many schools.
It was also our hope that schools would open after the government would have addressed the quandary of teachers’ starvation wages.
Now that the government has come with this ambush, disregarding logic and common sense, and bearing in mind that teachers are grossly incapacitated and cannot even travel to their respective working stations, let alone pay school fees, it is incumbent upon them to respond to government’s enunciation.
We, therefore, urge PTUZ members in particular and teachers in general to communicate their response over the untimely announcement for the opening of schools to their respective district leaders across the country and the districts to the respective provinces, and in turn the provinces to PTUZ HQ.
As PTUZ leadership, we are merely conveyor belts of teachers’ interests and feelings and will resolutely and resiliently stand by resolutions that teachers would make.
Hope teachers would treat this communique with the urgency it deserves.
</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h4>

Teachers Shocked By School Reopening Time Frames

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said public schools are not ready for opening, contrary to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Cain Matema’s assertions.
In a statement on Tuesday, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said according to preliminary results from its ongoing national survey, 98% of the schools are unprepared, with only 2% of schools in private and former group A schools prepared for the second term.
This comes after Mathema recently declared that most schools in Masvingo Province were ready to reopen.
Mathema also informed Parliament that most schools were ready to reopen and the Ministry was only waiting for the green light from Cabinet to open schools.
However, Zhou asserted that the level of unpreparedness is epitomised by the following:
<ul>
<li>Bloated classes in schools</li>
<li>No new infrastructural development in all schools</li>
<li>Would be congested hostels in boarding schools</li>
<li>No recruitment of new teachers in spite of existing school vacancies</li>
<li>Difficulties of ensuring social distance in terms of WHO standards and Ministry of Education standard operation procedures</li>
<li>No running water or reliable source of water in many schools</li>
<li>Lack of covid abatement equipment in schools</li>
<li>Vaccination of 5. 6% of the 140000 teachers, against 65% considered safe to combat the spread of covid 19.</li>
<li>High attritional weekly and monthly death rates of teachers</li>
<li>No vaccination of pupils above 16 years</li>
<li>No engagement with teachers who in essence are the linchpin behind the successful opening of schools</li>
<li>No concerted efforts by the government to address the welfare of teachers and even salary discrepancies with other government workers.</li>
</ul>
The PTUZ has thus called for the reopening of schools after mid-September, based on the premise that more vaccinations and high temperatures would have by then lowered COVID-19 cases. Said Zhou:
<blockquote>
Any rushed decision for face to face learning in schools could be suicidal and worse than the current challenges.
</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h4>

Consider Reopening Schools After Mid-September, Teachers Tell Govt

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) says it is against mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for civil servants, in particular, teachers.
PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou on Monday said that while their organisation encourages teachers to be inoculated, they are against compulsory vaccination. Said Zhou:
<blockquote>As much, as PTUZ, we encourage teachers to be vaccinated, we will oppose any attempt to make such vaccination mandatory to civil servants in general and teachers in particular.</blockquote>
This comes after the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, reportedly said COVID-19 vaccination must be mandatory for all civil servants.
Zhou asserted that the government must desist from adopting a commandist approach when dealing with professionals like teachers, nurses, doctors and the rest of civil servants.
He urged authorities to invest in other motivational methods than merely banking on the use of force which would seriously violate the rights of workers. Zhou said:
<blockquote>We will resist any attempt to favour teachers over COVID-19 vaccination, and not over the restoration of the purchasing power parity of their salaries.
Any preferential treatment must start with salaries and not COVID-19 vaccination. This is not to imply that vaccination is not important, but only to say the health and safety of teachers go beyond mere vaccination.</blockquote>
Zhou lamented the fact that teachers are paid far much less than army, police and CIO officers.
He said if the government was really concerned about the security and welfare of teachers, it should start by ensuring that their salaries are at par with those in the security services before attempting to force them to get the COVID-19 jab.
<h4>More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h4>

COVID-19 Vaccination Should Be Voluntary - Teachers

A senior MDC Alliance official has called on Zimbabweans to put the interests of the country before their allegiance to political parties.
Takavafira Zhou, who is MDC Alliance spokesperson for Midlands, said the wedge between his party and the ruling ZANU PF continued to hold the country back. He was addressing journalists in Kwekwe at the weekend. Said Zhou:
<blockquote>The challenge with Zimbabweans is to perceive themselves as either ZANU PF or MDC; that is useless.
The most important aspect is that you might be MDC, you might be ZANU PF. The crucial issue where efforts must converge is in terms of ensuring that the nation or Zimbabwe at least progresses, that our economy is ticking, that the livelihoods of Zimbabweans are improving.</blockquote>
Zhou called for dialogue among Zimbabwe’s political parties saying this is important in moving the country forward. He said:
<blockquote>Whatever political parties anyone can belong to, the most important thing is that there must be dialogue, because we are foremost Zimbabweans and we must care to ensure that there is a better Zimbabwe and there is dialogue among political parties.</blockquote>
Zhou, who is also the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa should engage MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa as well as other leaders in dialogue.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/partisan-politics-should-be-subordinate-to-patriotism-zhou/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NewZimbabwe.com</a></h4>

Partisan Politics Should Be Subordinate To Patriotism – MDC-A Official

The President of the Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ), <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Takavafira_Zhou">Dr Takavafira Zhou</a> has called upon the government to urgently address @teachers’ starvation salaries.” We present Zhou’s statement in full below.
<blockquote>Government Must Urgently Address Teachers’ Starvation Salaries
18 May 2021
In a move that defies logic gvt has since the opening of schools ignored calls by teachers to capacitate them so that they can report for work daily. This is quite surprising given the urgency of bringing school operations to normalcy in order to ensure that meaningful learning and teaching ensues in schools. We note with surprise this business as usual lackadaisical approach by gvt officials at a time that declining of pass rates at Grade 7, form 4, and U6th in 2020 point to limited contact time with teachers due to teachers’ incapacitation among many other factors.
A considerable number of teachers were mourning instead of smiling today, as their pay day is a constant reminder of their poverty and misery. More than 20 000 teacher have resigned from the profession since January 2021 out of frustration. This is not enviable, more so give the fact that the teachers’ deficit in schools was already more than 50 000. Worse still, recruitment by the Ministry has been at a low ebb of 3000 per year. The teaching profession is certainly burning and need an urgent address. Incapacitation is real and calls for an urgent intervention if we are to prevent the worst disaster in terms of results for the 2021 academic year.
As Ptuz, we humbly appeal for a Presidential intervention to save our education from total collapse in 2021. Any delay will have disastrous effects as more and more experienced teachers are living the profession out of frustration, while those remaining have mentally resigned although they may physically report for work twice a week. This is a dangerous situation for the country as our best asset, viz, youths, have no mentors all the time. Their prospects for a better future are increasingly becoming negligible. The basis for better results must be laid down now. Sadly, the majority of Zimbabweans will raise their voices next year when the current Grade 7, form 4 and U6th pupils would get worst results. The time to break the impasse between teachers and PSC is now. It’s either we do it now or else we continue to stand idly by and watch systematic educational vandalism by gvt officials.
We need an educational hygiene now, and the country’s President must ensure that the hygiene must become a reality. Any delay would be disastrous.
As much as the teachers are committed to their work, they are grossly incapacitated. They are doing a lot for this generation by reporting for 2 days per week after getting salaries pegged between $13300 and $23000.
Venceremos
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)</blockquote>

<ul>
<li class="entry-title"><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/05/07/schools-re-introduce-teachers-incentives/">Schools Re-introduce Teachers’ Incentives</a></li>
<li class="entry-title"><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/05/07/teachers-unions-ban-extra-lessons/">Teachers Unions Ban Extra Lessons</a></li>
<li class="entry-title"><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/04/24/if-they-want-to-kill-us-they-can-kill-teachers-uncompromising/">‘If They Want To Kill Us, They Can Kill’ – Teachers Uncompromising</a></li>
<li class="entry-title"><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/04/21/teachers-scoff-at-25-salary-increment/">Teachers Scoff At 25% Salary Increment</a></li>
<li class="entry-title"><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/04/20/teachers-respond-to-govts-no-work-no-pay-threats/">Teachers Respond To Govt’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ Threats</a></li>
<li class="entry-title"><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/03/22/teachers-protest-poor-salaries-as-schools-reopen/">Teachers Protest Poor Salaries As Schools Reopen</a></li>
</ul>
More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

"Urgently Address Teachers' Starvation Salaries" - Union

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has warned the government against adopting a ‘command’ approach in dealing with the sensitive issue of reopening schools in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said the government should instead establish an inclusive COVID-19 schools’ assessment taskforce to ascertain the level of preparedness in schools. He said:
<blockquote>A task force comprising teacher unions and ministries of education and health officials must be put in place to carry a Covid-19 risk assessment in schools and the levels of preparedness by schools for opening.
Any rushed decision to open schools before the above contingent measures are put in place would be suicidal, irresponsible and dereliction of duty by government.
Our position is that we must urgently put these measures in place, after which we can then discuss the opening of schools.</blockquote>
Zhou also implored the government to, among other things, restore the salaries of teachers’ purchasing power parity to US$520, to rein in on schools charging exorbitant fees and also to build new infrastructure at schools and employ more teachers in order to guarantee physical distancing.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/ptuz-calls-for-covid-19-schools-assessment-before-opening/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NewZimbabwe.com</a></h4>

PTUZ Calls For Risk Assessment Before Reopening Schools

Teachers in Zimbabwe’s public schools have reportedly been warned against revealing their health status if they test positive for COVID-19.
Progressive Teachers Association of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond Majongwe on Thursday said he had spoken to two teachers at a Highfield school in Harare confirming that they tested positive for the coronavirus.
The teachers said they have been instructed to adhere to the Official Secrets Act, a law prohibiting the disclosure of official information by unauthorised persons for any purpose considered prejudicial to the safety or interests of Zimbabwe, and not tell anyone. Majongwe posted on Twitter:
<blockquote>Have just spoken to 2 teachers at a Highfield school confirming they are Covid19 positive and they have [been] instructed to adhere to the Official Secrets Act and not tell anyone.</blockquote>
This comes when positive COVID-19 cases at schools are surging alarmingly across the country.
Sanyati Baptist High School has become the latest school to be affected by the coronavirus, with nine students testing positive for COVID-19.
Mashonaland West acting medical director, Gift Masoja confirmed the development saying the school has since been quarantined.

Teachers Instructed Not To Reveal They Have Corona - REPORT

The president of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Dr Takavafira Zhou has claimed that teachers have rejected the <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2020/11/11/government-workers-awarded-40-salary-increment/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">government’s offer of a 40 percent salary increase for all civil servants and a further 10 percent risk allowance. </a>Zhou says there was no consultation. Below is Zhou’s statement.
 
<blockquote>11 November 2020
Incapacitated teachers have rejected the 40% salary increase offered by cabinet yesterday. The increase is procedural defective and grossly insufficient in quantum. Govt’s unilateral paternalism is tantamount to oppressive generosity, callousness and a monument of unfair labour practice. Salaries and conditions of service are subject to bargaining between the employer and workers and not a product of one armed banditry employer machinations. Gvt attempts to render unions useless must be rejected in toto.
As Ptuz and part of the United Front of Teacher Unions, we reiterate our readness for meaningful dialogue with the gvt. The only issue that may not need dialogue is the restoration of the purchasing power parity of teachers’ salaries to pre-October 2018 levels of US$520-US$550.
We are worried by gvt officials (such as Prof Mavima)’s unpalatable submissions that increasing teachers’ salaries would lead to inflation. Yet a number of other gvt workers’ salaries doubled and trebled that of teachers without increase of inflation in June 2020 thereby creating naked discrepancies. Such simplistic arguments must never be intertained in the 21st century. Availability of disposable income may actually foster industrial growth if at all our priorities are appropriate and corruption minimised.
We remain worried at gvt’s reluctance to pay its workers in forex at a time when the economy has dollarised. The 40% salary increase cannot ameliorate the quandary that teachers face in meeting their obligations as parents who have to pay exorbitant fees approved by gvt in boarding schools. The gvt is also silent on prioritisation of health and safety of teachers and pupils, more so given cases of covid 19 in schools. In light of the foregoing the best foot foward for incapacitated teachers remains the incapacitation modus operandi until we are capacitated.
We remind parents to keep their kids in the safety of their homes. We urge school heads to resist submission of names of incapacitated teachers to any office. We urge all teachers to rise and be counted in our incapacitation struggle. The darkest hour is just before dawn. We implore upon gvt to engage leaders of teacher unions in order to find a holistic solution to the current impasse in schools. We reiterate that no amount of threats and brutality can force teachers back to their workplaces. Dialogue and capacitation are the only means available, and the sooner they are employed the better for the education system in Zimbabwe.
Aluta Continua
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)</blockquote>

Incapacitated Teachers Reject 40% Salary Increase - PTUZ

The president of the Progressive Teachers’ Union (PTUZ) Dr Takavafira Zhou has applauded “several school heads” who “failed” to report teachers who have not been reporting for duty. Teachers refused to return to work when schools reopened on 28 September citing incapacitation. They are demanding the restoration of their 2018 salaries when they were being paid around USD520. They currently earn an average of USD30. We present Zhou’s statement below.
<blockquote>Teachers’ Decisive Incapacitation Battle Continues
10 November 2020
Revolutionary greetings comrades. We salute yesterday’s heroic incapacitation modus operandi which was a resounding success across the country.
We noted that where teaching ensued it was largely conducted by student teachers. We reiterate that student teachers have no right to teach classes in the absence of mentors and welcome all students teachers to the incapacitation struggle, more so in light of the starvation $150 allowance that they get on teaching practice.
We salute several school heads for failing to send names of incapacitated teachers to district and provincial offices. Incapacitation is real and lets not assist an exploitative system to silence our voices. The Ministry officials must cover the length and breadth of Zimbabwe to collect the names. We stand ready to defend our members as notification to this incapacitation has been made to both the employer and line Ministry.
Our incapacitation struggle must continue with all teachers engaging a high gear against the cold and calculated educational vandalism. Anyone who thinks schools may continue to operate in the current hap hazardous meddling and muddling through without teachers would be deflated very soon. The competence based curriculum need teachers to be in schools. The competencies are identified, inculcated, nurtured and perfected by teachers.
With the deflation of the command centre tailor-made to compile names of incapacitated teachers, we are aware that the next threat is to withdraw bonuses for teachers this month purporting that education will be paid in December. The gvt wants to use payment of bonuses as a bargaining chip. Our humble submission is that we stand ready for meaningful dialogue as Ptuz and part of the United Front of Teacher Unions. Such dialogue may salvage something for the 2020 academic year which is fast becoming a wasted year. The attempt to re-open schools seem to be tailor-made to entice students to pay fees than enhance meaningful learning and teaching. How students that are supposed to learn twice a week or eight times for only one month pay between $15000 and $25000 baffles logic and common sense.
While it is still puzzling how students would successfully write examination given the fact that there is no meaningful learning in schools, we want to remind Zimsec to be ready to pay invigilators if they dream of smoothy running of exams. We also appeal to the President of the country to urgently intervene over the welfare, health and safety of teachers in order to find a lasting solution in schools. Nothing substantial may come from discredited Apex Council that has no mandate from teacher unions and whose engagement in NJNC has become a tissue of misrepresentation. Dialogue with the United Front of Teacher Unions can in our view bring a modicum of normalcy to schools. There is danger that if no appropriate steps are urgently taken, the writing of examinations is also put in serious doubt. To be fore warned is to be forearmed. We hope gvt will take urgent steps to resolve the impasse in schools. The best way to resolve such an impasse is an objective redress of teachers’ pathetic welfare, let alone prioritisation of teachers and pupils’ health and safety. Teachers are more than ready to report for work but are sadly grossly incapacitated. Our clarion call is therefore the capacitation of teachers so that they can report at their work places and become vital cogs of national development.
Venceremos
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)</blockquote>

PTUZ "Salutes School Heads For Failing" To Report Striking Teachers

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Thabela has directed Provincial Education Directors to submit names teachers who have refused to return to work since the reopening of schools on 28 September. 
<blockquote>RE: SUBMISSION OF NAMES OF TEACHERS NOT REPORTING FOR DUTY SINCE 28 SEPTEMBER 2020 
Please refer to the attathed minute from the Public Service Commission on the above-mentioned subject dated 26 October 2020.
The Public service Commission has requested for details of teachers that have not reported for duty since the opening of Phase I classes on 28 September 2020 in the format prescribed in the template provided. Whilst provinces and districts have been submitting attendance statistics for teachers and teams to the Command Centre these did not have names.
In view of the above, Provincial Education Directors are hereby directed to submit the details of teachers that have been absent from duty for the period 28 September to 6 November 2020 to Head Office through their respective Human Resources Directors by end of day on Wednesday, II November for onward submission to Public Service Commission. 

Henceforth, Provincial Education Directors are further directed to gather attendance information Including names of teachers at all the schools and submit to Head Office every Friday until further notice.
<img alt="Image" decoding="async" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EmI-VPzXgAIVfZy?format=jpg&amp;name=medium"/></blockquote>

Govt Demands Names Of Striking Teachers

The Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has bemoaned an increase in the number of teachers employed by the government who are committing suicide due to poor remuneration.
PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou also said the number of families of teachers breaking-up is going up as well as educators find it hard to cope with paltry salaries. Zhou said:
<blockquote>The government must simply pay teachers better salaries. Several teachers have committed suicide because of poverty, several families are breaking up or separating because of poverty.
Many more are scavenging to feed their families or engaging in artisanal mining. Those who retire quickly, fast track into death because of stress.</blockquote>
Recently, <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2020/10/31/gold-panning-teacher-falls-into-mine-tunnel-dies/">Pedzisai Chiresve, a mathematics teacher at George Chipadze Secondary School in Zvishavane died after falling headlong into a 15 metres deep mining shaft</a> where he was panning for gold with fellow teachers.
The government pays teachers a fraction of what it pays soldiers and police officers, a situation that has forced teachers to declare incapacitation (failure to report for duty due to poor salaries).
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/teachers-suicide-cases-rise-as-educators-turn-to-scavengers-ptuz/">NewZimbabwe.com</a></h4>

Poor Salaries Take Heavy Emotional Toll On Teachers

The president of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) Dr Takavafira Zhou has criticised the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Paul Mavima after he allegedly supported the emergence of a parents’ union meant to thwart teachers’ industrial action.
NewsDay reports that the yet to be registered Zimbabwe Parents Union is led by Martin Maziwisa and has since created a WhatsApp group for membership mobilisation purposes.
A message sent by Maziwisa to the group observed that there is a stand-off between the government and teachers over salaries and working conditions adding that the impasse has greatly affected students’ learning. Further reads the message:
<blockquote>We hope that if we broaden our inputs as parents, we will tackle some of these issues and mediate so that our children are not deprived in terms of education. Let’s safeguard our future generations and chart their destiny. We are the voice of the voiceless.
As parents, we won’t accept unrealistic demands which we know government won’t endorse. Demanding salaries of US$520 is absolutely unrealistic. That is why the government won’t budge.</blockquote>
Mavima responded to the chat, saying that teachers should know that the US$520 salary that they were demanding was not possible in the prevailing economic context.
Takavafira Zhou said Mavima was trying to assist parents to form a union against trade unions in the public sector adding that “these State-captured unions” have nothing to offer besides a false assumption of engagement where there is none. He said:
<blockquote>Mavima must mellow down to a more constructive approach of engagement than this pretentious and closeted approach to labour issues. He is certainly offside and is exuding prejudice and narrow-mindedness. We do not expect this to come from a professor.</blockquote>
Teachers who earn about US$30 refused to return to work when schools reopened on 28 September saying they were incapacitated.
They are vowing not to return to work until the government has restored their 2018 salaries.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa indicated during his State of the Nation Address (Sona) last week that he was aware of the teachers’ grievances.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2020/10/govt-plots-parents-union-to-counter-striking-teachers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewsDay</a>

Teachers Fume Over Yet To Materialise Parents' Union 

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president, Dr Takavafira Zhou has said teachers will not succumb from government as they are still incapacitated to return to work. We post below his unedited statement.
<blockquote>Incapacitation Rages On
22 October 2020
The struggle continues unabated. There will be no defeat no surrender. Concerted efforts by the United Front of all teacher unions are at an advanced stage to engage the President of the Country to intervene over the parlous state of affairs in schools.
Its good that we have education officials touring schools across the country this week and our greatest hope is that they would be able to report as accurately as possible rather than fabricate the sorry state in schools.
School Heads have been using personal data bundles and many have now been crippled by the incessant information requisition so much that they are no longer sending any statistics. We salaute this level of our struggle.
We salute decorated cdes who have stood firm in our incapacitation modus operandi. We cherish such distinguished dedication and commitment to a legitimate cause of incapacitation. Our struggle would have been won in the first week of our incapacitation had all comrades responded in this fashionable manner. All the same the ripple effects of our heroic incapacitation have reached far and wide and is now riverberating in gvt corridors.
We condemn outrightly the logging brigade epitomised by schools in Chiredzi ( Masvingo) which gives an impression of normalcy in schools when nothing is virtually happening there. Be warned that you will burn your fingers soon.
It is encouraging that some extortionist schools and teachers are beating a retreat. But we still have a few former Group A schools in Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo, Mutare and Harare still acclimitised to extortion and incentives. Chibi High, Chivi district (Masvingo province), St johns Chikwaka, Goromonzi District, Mashonaland Central, etc have become notorious for extortion. But let me won the teachers that the US$20 per month coming to you has added your names to a number of teachers’ enemies and soon you will reap the consequences of extortion. Let it sink in every teachers that the incapacitation battle cannot be fought on your behalf. It is a battle you must fully participate in for your dignity, status restoration and posterity.
Some parents have done the most noble thing, viz, taking their children back from boarding schools and stopping their children from going to school until gvt and teachers reach an understanding over issues of welfare of teachers and prioritisation of their health and safety. We urge parents to serious take our advice into consideration as it can only be neglected at their children’s peril.
There have been reported covid 19 cases among teachers and pupils and this justifies our call for testing teachers and pupils before congregation in schools. Blame us it doesnt matter, history has always absolved us.
The welfare of teachers matter and so likewise is their health and safety. Teachers are their own liberators and our clarion call for a living wage rages on. Forward ever and backwards never.
Aluta Continua
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)</blockquote>

There Will Be No Surrender - Teachers

Government workers Tuesday expressed anger on the government after it had announced that the state will give <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2020/10/20/govt-us500-for-families-of-dead-civil-servants/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">US$500 in funeral assistance to families of civil servants who would have died.</a>
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) described the gesture as “insensitive” suggesting that the government should rather address the workers’ salary issue instead of offering the funeral assistance.
ZCTU’s resident, Peter Moyo, said workers deserve some respect, better lives and “not better burials.”
His remarks were echoed by Raymond Majongwe the secretary-general of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe who told ZimLive that workers wanted better living standards. He said:
<blockquote>They (government) are simply saying we should smile all the way to our graves and not our banks. It’s very unfortunate that the government is planning more on our funerals than our present conditions of living.
We want better living and working conditions, not death conditions. Our take is that there’s nothing compassionate about splurging on an employee when he or she passes on. True compassion will be seen when you start paying a living salary to our members.</blockquote>
This comes when government workers have since last year embarked on a spate of protests over poor salaries and poor working conditions.
Scores of health caregivers in the public sector embarked on protests and some ended deserting public institutions opting for privately owned one which offered attractive remuneration and working conditions.
Meanwhile, teachers have not returned to work since the reopening of schools on 28 October demanding the restoration of their 2018 salaries (US$500).
They are currently earning about US$30 per month.
The government has for a sustained period of time failed to come up with a way to resolve the impasse it has with workers.
More: <a href="https://www.zimlive.com/2020/10/21/you-like-us-dead-unions-tell-government-over-new-us500-funeral-cover/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ZimLive</a>

Workers Respond To Govt's US$500 Funeral Assistance Offer

Dr Takavafira Zhou, the President of the Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ) has said the incapacitation of teachers is greater than any threat. This comes as ambassador Cain Mathema, the minister of Primary and Secondary Education has threatened to replace striking teachers. Teachers have been on industrial action since the reopening of schools on 28 September. We present Zhou’s statement in full below.
<blockquote>Gvt officials have responded to teachers’ incapacitation by threats, firstly expressing that they would replace incapacitated teachers with 10000 lumpen teachers, the number escalated to 25000. Recently, overzealous gvt officials threatened to employ the ‘No Work no Pay Principle’ which again will not work. Others are even threatening the ceasation of salary after 14 working days, which again is inapplicable.
It is noteworthy that a salary ceasation is processed by a school head over a teacher whose whereabouts is not known. In our case teachers’ whereabouts are known as we have notified both the employer and line ministry of teachers’ incapacitation. The principle of ‘no work no pay’ does not apply over incapacitated teachers as the law can never be abused where an employer cripples the ability of a worker to report for work in order to deny him/her a salary. That principle can only be applied where workers are reasonably paid.
We challenge anyone who doubts the incapacitation of a teacher to get the teacher’s salary, pay rent for a three bedroomed house (family of six), buy food for such a family that can last a month, pay water, medical and electricity bills, pay fees for two students in secondary school and two in primary school etc. If that money can do this then teachers are capacitated, but if it cannot the teachers are incapacitated. In short no amount of threats of dismissal can capacitate an incapacitated teacher to report for work.
To our students the time to confront gvt to amplify your teachers’ voices is now. Students in South Africa did it in Soweto in the 1970s and have gone down in the annuals of history for fighting for their educational rights. You can also do it in Zimbabwe or else this year will be a wasted year for you.
To parents stop sending your children to school until teachers are capacitated. To be forewarned is to be forearmed as children engage in moral decay and social decadence in the absence of teachers. Schools are institutions of learning and teaching, yet they are fast becoming institutions of drug abuse, myriads sexual experimentation and misdemeanours.
To gvt capacitate teachers so that they can report for work. Prioritise the health and safety of teachers and pupils. Stop forthwith berating teachers with dismissal and call for meaningful dialogue with teacher union leaders, logical disputation and clear presentation of facts. We certainly do not salivate at a dialogue of a master and servant, horse and rider or senior and junior, but dialogue of equal partners punctuated by truth and honesty as opposed to deceit. Neither would we accept begging and romance under archaic, obsolete and moribund Apex Council.
To school heads you are just as incapacitated as other teachers. You have nothing to show for managing schools except poverty and misery as all other teachers. Close the schools and go home until you are capacitated.
To teachers we dont harvest money in a field and neither are we magicians who can multiply the starvation wages we earn to capacitate ourselves. Lets mantain our incapacitation modus operandi until we are capacitated. Lets explain to our students and communities that we have nothing against them, but we are fighting an issue of fair labour practice, no more no less. We love them but we cannot miraculously get to our schools because we are grossly incapacitated. Neither are we witches who could travel at night using unconventional methods. This is the message we must amplify loud and clear and without fear or davour. Our condition can never be changed by any threat as it is real and need redress as a matter of urgency.
Our decisive phase of incapacitation must see the convergence of voices of teachers, students, parents and gvt officials in an attempt to find a pragmatic and realistic way forward. Even if the gvt can borrow money from Satan in order to pay teachers, so be it. The discrepancies between teachers and other gvt workers’ salaries baffle logic and common sense. Without redress of the parlous state of teachers, the only way forward for incapacitated teachers is going forward in the incapacitation modus operandi. As teachers we have no reason to lie except highlighting the truth that our welfare, health and safety matter. There will be no retreat no surrender over issues of life and dealth, let alone protecting a veritable future for both teachers and our students.
Venceremos
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)</blockquote>

Teachers' Incapacitation Greater Than Any Threat - PTUZ President

The president of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) Dr Takavafira Zhou has said “incapacitated” teachers will not return to work until further notice. We present his statement below.
<blockquote>Day 3: Incapacitation Full Steam Foward
30 September 2020
That the teachers are incapacitated is now a fact that is indisputable. It has reverberated across all the ten provinces and escalating daily. The drivers of our incapacitation are known far and wide, viz, starvation wages, failure to implement sector specific allowances, lack of prioritisation of teachers and pupils’ health and safety, and therefore experimenting with lives of teachers and students.
To incapacitated teachers Our incapacitation struggle must continue unabated. There will be no retreat no surrender until victory always. All struggles need a high degree of discipline by participants and our members must stop going to school to log-in and go home. An incapacitated teacher can not report for work, neither can he/she log in. Let the statistics indicate the high levels of incapacitation that must surely prod officials into action. Neither should teachers write a group letter and send it to heads as indication of incapacitation. Union circulars written to members can be sent to school officials. Any form of intimidation should be reported to us first and we will accordingly advice you how to deal with it. Members must stop going to school and claim that they were intimidated. We dont eat threats. We also urge some members to decist from entering into local deals to teach extra lessons. Our struggle is a national struggle that calls for excessive discipline and activism.
We urge all teachers to mobilise, recruit and activate other passive members to our incapacitation struggle. Our struggle must continue to gather momentum and soon reach a decisive moment when no teacher at best, or one teacher at worst, turns up at a school.
To School Heads You are teachers and also incapacitated. We salute many of you for your professional conduct during these hard times. However, there are some few heads who behave as if they are not incapacitated and own schools, and pride in threatening or harassing teachers and insulting unions. This is certainly unfortunate, as the incapacitation battle is our collective effort. This is not to claim that all teachers are saints but only to implore you to understand the plight of incapacitated teachers and thrive to continue to amplify the truth in your reportage and dialogue with district, province and national Ministry offocials. This way we can build a veritable and credible education system based on reality rather fertile imagination of some Ministry officials.
To parents Be advised that teachers are incapacitated and are not turning up for work until further notice. Guide our students to do their work in the safety of your homes. There are no covid 19 abatement equipment in schools and it becomes dangerous to send your child to such institutions. Your child’s life is more important than anything else.
To our students We are fully committed to teach you but we are pertubed by the current school environment that is not suitable for effective learning and teaching. Once the operational environment is improved by gvt we will be ready to come to work and assist you. In the meantime the school is not the best place to be at and we encourage you to remain at home and revise all the work you covered at school. You can also continue to contact your teachers through the subject whatApp groups and class whatApp groups where possible.
To the Ministry Officials The best you could do is to advice cabinet of the hap-hazardous meddling and muddling that has ensued as a result of your poor planning and limited engagement. Hope you will also accurately convey to Cabinet and President of Zimbabwe that the situation in schools is not palatable and covid 19 abatement equipment is not available in more than 70% of schools in rural areas. We have also seen your phased school calender with candidates having 60 days, second phase 40 days and third phase having 30 days and your vogue and warped planning that the term would end on 18 October. It still has to be seen how this would be implemented with incapacitated teachers and imaginable tasks. Hope you will also introduce phased fees in schools.
To Gvt We want to remind gvt that it has a responsibility of paying its workers a living wage. The unilateral reduction of teachers’ salaries from US$520-US$550 to US$35 was not only callous but also degrading and a monumument of unfair labour practice. We reiterate our commitnent to our work but have been economically disarticulated, marginalised, disoriented and disoperationalised by starvation wages given by gvt. To expect us to provide a service that our own children cannot access by virtue of our poverty and inability to pay exorbitant fees now ranging between $25000 and $60000 is to heap burning coals upon our heads. To pay us a salary that is less than that received by house maids (US$50) is to raise Satan in us. We have certainly not commanded the beast you have generated in us to act, but call upon gvt to treat us in a more humane and dignified manner as workers who have done so much with so little. A commandist approach has never worked in the education system but meaningful engagement logical disputation and clear presentation of facts. The duration of our incapacitation struggle will be determined by gvt’s ability to engage the leaders of the United Front of teacher unions. Any firefighting through moribund, obsolete and archaic Apex Council whose mandate has long expired, would not receive favourable response from our members. It is our hope that gvt would mellow down to a more constructive approach permeable to reason and facts rather than adopting an irresponsible and intransigent approach that does not resonate with the challenges at hand.
The voice of teachers is now the voice of anguish and the sooner gvt addresses their legitimate demands, the better. Indeed we are everything, yet we now count for nothing. Life is too short to spend it in misery. Until gvt finds a panacea to our legitimate demands our only way forward would be going foward with the incapacitation struggle.
Venceremos
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)</blockquote>

"No Classes," - "Incapacitated" Teachers Tell Parents

The President of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Dr Takavafira Zhou has said the 2020 academic year must not be declared null void even if it meant it resumes in January 2021.
Schools were prematurely closed in March when the country recorded its first coronavirus case and there are no indications as to when studies will resume as the country is still grappling with the virus.
We present below Dr Zhou’s statement in full.
<blockquote>Which Way Forward For the Education System in Zimbabwe
15 August 2020
After the heroic resistance by progressive teacher-unions to the reopening of schools without due consideration of the health, safety and welfare of pupils and teachers, the government now seem to have adopted a wait and see approach over the issue of reopening of schools. Rather than taking a pro-active role in preparing for reopening of schools, the government in general and Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in particular, have taken a lackadaisical approach to the crucial issue of opening of schools. As Ptuz we have no regrets for the crucial and national role we played in resisting the reopening of schools. As much as we were blamed by some politicians and yellow unions, history has absolved us.
It is becoming more clearly that chances of opening schools this year are far fetched and remote. But even if schools are to open next year, there is a need for preparation towards that, let alone clarity over the 2020 academic year.
Our humble submission is that this is the time for the Ministry to make meaningful engagement with teacher unions in order to map an agreeable possible way forward. The health, safety and welfare of teachers and pupils remain crucial issues to be addressed before schools can open, yet nothing towards this is seriously considered by the government and line Ministry.
There are no clear plans to assist pupils other than homelitic bellicose and rhetoric of radio and television lessons. While the efficacy of such lessons is certainly undoubted, we wonder how this would become a reality in a country where 75 to 80 percent of areas have no television and radio frequencies.
Our sober reflections is that the country cannot afford to cancel the 2020 academic year even if schools open in January next year. Rather, pupils must be given an opportunity to learn for two to three months before they can write end of 2020 academic year exams. This can be followed by a 2021 academic year divided into two-three months learning terms and ensure that by end of 2021 we have rectified learning challenges emanating from COVID-19 related closure of schools.
Any other options could give permanent challenges to the education sector. There are those who argue for the cancellation of 2020 academic year. This would entail that there would be too many students for ECD and grade 1 classes in 2021 as the current pupils would be joined by other pupils in 2021 thereby posing infrastructural challenges. Such students will create permanent challenges every year, and after Grade 7, will create challenges associated with form 1 enrolment. It is our hope that the govt will learn from history and avoid the challenges faced during the early 1970s when both standard 5 and standard 6 were integrated and allowed to write end of primary education examinations without creating room for expansion and absorption of such pupils for form 1. Consequently, several pupils found themselves out of school.
It is also worrisome that the government is silent about the recently generated discrepancies between teachers’ salaries and other sectors in government. With a salary ranging from $3800 to $4200 (inclusive of allowances) all teachers have tested positive to poverty and are always scavenging for food. It is callous for government to ignore the plight of teachers at a time it is pampering other sectors with less qualifications, years of experience and responsibilities with salaries that are 5 times that of teachers. Government need to invest in quality public education and restore the purchasing power parity of the salary of teachers that was pegged at US$550 in October 2018. Anything less than this is unacceptable, degrading and monumental labour injustice. We have noted with concern how the government has used the moribund Apex Council for firefighting, romance and pulling cotton on the eyes of teachers. We, therefore, urge the government to do the most honourable thing by paying teachers US$550 that government unilaterally culled without teachers’ consent. Only well paid and motivated teachers living in safe environment can be dynamic and innovative even during covid-19 pandemic and find acceptable and safe ways to assist their pupils.
To all teachers, the time to unite and fight for an improvement of salaries and conditions of service is now. The time to see that Apex Council is a liability rather than an asset is now. This is a struggle that need everyone, male and female, tall and short, head and simple teacher. We either have to unite as professionals or else we will perish as fools.
By and large, the current parlous state of the education system is unenviable. Indeed, it is the so-called new dispensation that has allowed the education system to degenerate into the terminal ward. The officials in the Ministry of education lack the vision and power to drive the education system to greater heights particularly during the covid-19 pandemic. The government is indifferent and urinating upon teachers and telling them it’s raining. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary solutions. As managers of the world’s greatest asset, viz, students, we implore the government to plan for a robust improvement of the education system and pay educators well. Failure to plan is planning to fail. We will not stand idle by to witness cold and calculated educational vandalism. The time to plan for a credible education system is now. The time to pay teachers well is now. Teachers are workers too and must never be treated as second class citizens of Zimbabwe. We are in essence a vital cog of societal and national development and deserve best treatment by the state in order to engineer a skills revolution and benchmarks towards Agenda 2030.
Venceremos
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)</blockquote>

FULL TEXT: PTUZ President Says "2020 Academic Year Cannot Be Cancelled"

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has proposed that the government should consider reopening schools in spring when the country is likely to have gone past the peak of coronavirus infections.
PTUZ Secretary General Raymond Majongwe said another option is to run the 2020 school year into 2021 and start 2021 in 2021 and complete it in 2021 as well. Said Majongwe:
<blockquote>Like we have said the most important time to reconsider reopening is when we have gone past our peak when we have conditions obtaining such that we are in control of the disease but preferably when we get to August, post-August when it is warmer and we want to believe that would be the best time for schools to re-open, this is a sovereign country we can do as we please with our time, we can never say we are losing time.
… The 2020 school year has been problematic across the world, Kenya, for example, has cancelled it, while I’m not proposing that we cancel the whole year, we could actually go back and say we can run our 2020 school year into 2021 and start 2021 in 2021 and complete it in 2021 as well because I want to believe that once we put our modalities in place, we would be able to deal with this particular matter.</blockquote>
This comes after the government on Tuesday announced that the reopening of schools will be deferred beyond 28 July, the date that examination classes – Grade Seven, Form Four and Form Six – were scheduled to resume lessons.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.hmetro.co.zw/open-schools-after-winter/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">H-Metro</a></h4>

'2020 School Year Can Run Into 2021 And Start 2021 In 2021 And Complete It In 2021' - Majongwe

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has welcomed Cabinet’s decision to defer the reopening of schools following a spike in coronavirus cases in the past few weeks.
The government had planned a phased approach to the reopening of schools starting from the 28th of this month with the examination classes resuming lessons first.
In a statement on Tuesday, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou vowed that teachers will continue pushing for the restoration of their October 2018 salaries. Zhou said:
<blockquote>Our Resistance has yielded Results. No guarantee to our safety, health and welfare, no opening of schools.
Shame to some yellow unions who were criticising us. The government must never in future ignore professional advice. To the cowards who were irrigating their pants ready to open schools on 28 July, shame on you.
Our demand for restoration of October 2018 salaries for teachers still remain and must be addressed as a matter of urgency.</blockquote>

Teachers Welcome Cabinet Decision On Reopening Of Schools

The <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Progressive_Teachers_Union_of_Zimbabwe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ)</a> has welcomed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s directive to schools, universities and colleges to close on March 24 amid coronavirus fears.
In a statement on Thursday, PTUZ president <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Takavafira_Zhou" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Takavafira Zhou</a> said:
<blockquote>Yes, it’s now official that schools are closing earlier than had been enunciated by President Mnangagwa. We want to thank teachers for the bold statement that we had taken to close schools on our own if the government had failed to give heed to our professional advice.
We want to thank the thousands of pupils who were ready to follow our modus operandi. Our gratitude also goes to parents who had made bold steps to withdraw their children with effect from Monday.
We want to thank the government for accepting professional advice, and whoever is ill-informing the President must learn from this ‘Fashoda’ crisis that engagement is better than unilateralism.
To our members, we want to reiterate that vigilance demands that we must always be resilient every time. To all teachers in Zimbabwe, we must always learn to unite as brothers and sisters so that we don’t perish as fools.
We are indeed managers of the world’s greatest asset, viz, children, and must never be treated as if we are of no account, or immune to a health pandemic. The health and safety of teachers and pupils matter.</blockquote>

Teachers Welcome Early Closure Of Schools

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