Mthuli Dangles Perks For Teachers And Civil Servants, But Is It Enough?

Following the teachers and headmasters strike Professor Mthuli Ncube (Minister of Finance) has announced new conditions of service for teachers and civil servants on his Twitter page. These additional measures have been put in place to try salvage the economic crisis facing the nation as well as the under performing Zimbabwean dollar which keeps losing value.

In this latest measure the finance minister is promising civil servants the following:

Monetary Benefits

First on the list is a 20 percent increase in the Zimbabwean dollar salary component backdated to the 1^st of January 2022. This means is one was earning 10 000 rtgs they will now be earning 12 000 rtgs.

The government has also added 100USD per month in hard currency to every civil servant with effect from the 1^st of March 2022. This will be done through conversion of a corresponding Zimbabwe dollar salary amount into hard currency, bringing the foreign currency amount to 175USD.

Teacher unions last week declared that their members would only resume duties after their employer had acceded to their demand for the pre-October 2018 salary of US$520 or its equivalent in local currency. The offer made by the government is far off from this request.

Non-Monetary Benefits

The government has offered to pay school fees for up to 3 biological children per teaching family, with a cap of 20 000 rtgs per child per term. The fees are to be paid directly to the school. Does this mean that if one is a teacher and looking after children of a deceased family member, those children will not get their fees paid?

The government has also promised to construct 34 000 housing units (2 125 block flats) over a five-year period as institutional accommodation including critical amenities, for teachers within the school premises. This is a way of cutting off transportation as teachers will have no excuses to not be at work.

The provision of transportation to ferry rural and urban teachers is on the list.

The most interesting offers so far are housing loan guarantee schemes and that teachers are to import vehicles duty free. The imported vehicles are not to be disposed of “before the expiry of three years”. This means that if a teacher imports a vehicle they cannot sell the vehicle for the next three years. Firstly, we that know they have increased the salaries of teachers, but is it enough for teachers to get housing loans and import vehicles? Is it even enough to pay rent and buy fuel?

The offers made by government look appealing. They are not entirely what the teachers union asked for (which is 520USD). Besides the 20 percent increase, school fees benefit, 100USD, and transport facility, the rest of the benefits are long term. How does getting a flat after five years help a teacher that is struggling to pay rent now?

Whether the offer made by government will be effective remains unseen. Will these efforts be enough  to appease the civil servants?