We stand in solidarity with persecuted poverty-stricken, teachers

THE Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC), which brings together various civic groups including women, farmers, war veterans, youths, students, residents, the academia and labour, stands in solidarity with the poverty-stricken and persecuted teachers of Zimbabwe.

We also call upon parents and the general citizenry to rally behind teachers’ struggle for a living wage.

We note with grave concern that government continues to use intimidation and coercive tactics against teachers who are making genuine demands for a living wage.

For the record, teachers are not on strike but are incapacitated to report for duty due to the fact that they are getting meagre salaries and continue to live far below the poverty datum line.

Government’s insincerity towards improving the welfare of teachers has reduced them to paupers despite their invaluable contribution to the country.

Due to the failure by government to adequately address teachers’ concerns, pupils continue to be deprived of the right to education, which is enshrined in section 75 of the Constitution.

Learning standards continue to fall while infrastructure at public schools is dilapidated.

Looting of the country’s natural resources by the political elite continues unabated while the plight of teachers continues to worsen and this is a call for citizens to hold the government to account.

Over the years, government has exhibited lack of political will to address teachers’ concerns and has apparently failed to create genuine platforms for negotiations with the teachers.

Government continues to make unilateral decisions without fully consulting teachers and uses divide and rule tactics against the suffering teachers.

To make matters worse, the government has criminalised trade unionism and this has seen the arrest and persecution of trade union leaders for demanding a living wage for teachers.

On February 10, 2022, government announced the suspension of teachers without pay who had not reported for duty since February 7, 2022 when schools opened.

According to teacher unions, the move will affect 135 000 out of 150 000 teachers and this will further deprive pupils of their right to education.

It is in this vein that the general citizenry must see the teachers’ struggle as their own struggle.

Government must be held to account and solidarity with persecuted teachers is critical at this juncture.

CiZC stands in solidarity with teachers and reiterates the call for the restoration of the preOctober 2018 salary, which was US$540.