Zimbabwe: No Solution, No School – Teachers Threaten Job Action Over Poor Salaries
Disgruntled teachers have accused Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube of dishonesty over government’s commitment to improve their welfare, as the cost of living continues to rise on the back of fuel price increases.
Teachers are the latest group of civil servants to demand a salary review, following industrial action by nurses earlier this week at public health institutions.
The growing discontent comes amid a sharp increase in fuel prices, which has triggered a ripple effect on the cost of basic goods and services.
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), led by its president Obert Masaraure, on Thursday delivered a petition to Ncube outlining a series of grievances and demands.
“We, the teachers of Zimbabwe, under the banner of ARTUZ, petition you not only as teachers, but as parents, community leaders, and struggling citizens. On 15 December 2025, during the budget debate, you declared that civil servant salaries will be reviewed in the first quarter of 2026.
“The quarter is coming to an end but the only communication we have received is an insult from your Deputy Minister, Kudakwashe David Mnangagwa. Minister Mnangagwa is quoted telling Parliament that our salaries are competitive. We reject Mnangagwa’s lies and we are angered by your failure to deliver on your promise.”
Masaraure said teachers were demanding urgent government intervention, warning that the situation reflects deep policy failures affecting the working class.
“We hereby table other urgent legitimate demands demanding your attention. We categorise the following ten issues not just as policy failures, but as a systematic genocide against the working class. We demand immediate redress of these standalone counts to avert the collapse of our education system and the broader social contract,” he said.
Among the key demands is a salary review, with ARTUZ calling for a minimum monthly wage of US$1,260.
“The Ministry has wilfully ignored the devaluation of labour. A teacher’s salary should not be a ‘survival ration.’ We demand a minimum wage of US$1,260 to ensure the survival of our families and restore the dignity of the profession,” Masaraure added.
Government has attributed the rising cost of living to global shocks linked to geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have disrupted energy supplies.
The ongoing conflict has affected movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for nearly 20% of global oil supply, contributing to an energy crisis and rising fuel prices.
Masaraure, however, accused authorities of exploiting the situation through excessive fuel price increases.
“While global markets fluctuate by 4 per cent, the defendant has imposed a 40 per cent hike on local fuel. This hike is not only extortion but a tax on movement and a barrier to rural service. We demand the suspension of predatory taxes and levies to bring the pump price down from the prohibitive US$2.17,” he said.
ARTUZ has given government a four-day ultimatum to address the concerns, warning of potential industrial action when schools reopen for the second term.
“If the minister fails to address the fuel crisis, we will be forced to join Zimbabweans who will be walking to work in a unified, silent protest against the fuel price extortion and tax on our mobility on the 31st of March.
“No solution, no school. Teachers will not report for duty next term if our demands are not met before then,” Masaraure warned.
By New Zimbabwe.
