Mgcini Dlamini
BULAWAYO teachers are seething with anger over Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta), accusing the union of selling out.
Teachers from Sikhulile, Luveve and Mzilikazi high schools who spoke to this publication were apoplectic.
“On Monday l am going to school and the first thing l will do is to ask for Zimta resignation forms,” said one Math teacher from Sikhulile High who declined to be named for fear of victimisation.
“They take from us over ZWL$50 every month and they go on to betray us. It is not Zimta but Zimthakathi,” added the teacher.
Another teacher from Luveve High said:” They secretly met the president and agreed on a US$310 salary but the government is offering us bonds and this is against the US$520 that we demanded. Zimta has sold out”.
“We will go to school but we will not teach. We would be betting on soccer. The increment is nothing and we say no,” said one disgruntled teacher.
The government recently awarded civil servants a 41 percent salary increment that will see the least paid teacher taking ZWL$18 000 home.
However, most teachers say the increment falls short of their demands to earn salaries in forex.
Zimta chief executive, Sifiso Ndlovu could not immediately comment on the matter as he was not picking up his phone.
He read WhatsApp messages sent to him but did not respond.
Zimta boasts that it is the largest teacher’s union in the country with over 40 000 members.
Another teachers union, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, this week dismissed the increment as starvation wages.
It said it would consult its members on the way foward.
