Mugabe fails to pay promised salaries to teachers

Mugabe fails to pay promised salaries to teachers

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By Fikile Mapala

THE cash-strapped Zimbabwe government which approved a hefty salary hike for striking teachers two weeks ago failed to pay the new salaries as civil servants got their pay on Wednesday, union officials said.

President Robert Mugabe announced that he had authorised the massive pay out to teachers and other civil servants after teachers went on strike last month protesting against low salaries.

The president of the pro-government Zimbabwe Teachers Association, Tendai Chikowore, confirmed teachers who got paid Wednesday had not received the hefty salaries as promised by government.

Raymond Majongwe, secretary general of the more militant Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said teachers were shocked to discover that government had paid old salaries instead of the promised windfall.

Majongwe said: “After the announcement of a new salary structure by government, teachers were expecting a salary increment this payday. Teachers got paid today (Tuesday) and they are crying foul. They did not get the promised salaries.”

The PTUZ leader said after urgent consultations they had been told that the Public Service Commission (PSC) -- which employs all civil servants -- was making frantic efforts to make sure that the new salaries are paid before the end of the month.

Majongwe said: “I have phoned the commission and a senior official there has told us that the government did not have the money to pay the new salaries this Tuesday. The official said efforts are being made to pay the new salaries before end of month.”

The Zimbabwean government, visibly broke and struggling to turn back an unprecedented economic slide, had promised junior teachers a gross salary of $3.9 billion, and senior teachers were expecting to be paid $5 billion.

PSC chairman Mariyawanda Nzuwa admitted that the government could not pay the new salaries this week, attributing the problem to “administrative challenges”.

Nzuwa said: “We faced administrative challenges in the course of trying to effect the new salaries for our employees but it’s something we will be able to solve before the end of the month. Civil servants should not panic because we have already communicated this position to them.”

Government sources said President Mugabe, under pressure to pacify civil servants ahead of crucial elections on March 29, agreed to their demands for huge salary increases although his government does not have the money.

Mugabe has instructed central bank governor Gideon Gono to print trillions of dollars to finance the inflated salary bill for government workers, but the Reserve Bank’s printing presses are struggling to match up with the demand for banknotes.

Meanwhile Zimbabwean schools which have been designated as polling stations closed Wednesday to make way for elections. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission which has the task of running the forthcoming elections will rely heavily on school teachers as polling officers.

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