By Dr Takavafira Zhou.
The Sunday Mail (6 October 2024) claims the “Zimbabwean government has announced a significant increase in the US$ component of civil servants salaries” and allocation of what it calls “substantial funds by treasury for salaries” and bonus. Sadly, a reading of the story has nothing to reflect any evidence of significant increase or substantial funds and reveals the poverty of state media journalism. The 4th estate must provide objective news backed by evidence and showing investigative journalism and balance.
The gvt is making the greatest mistake of unilaterally deciding salaries at cabinet and communicating to newspapers before engaging workers.
Salaries must be decided through negotiations, and as of now there has been no agreement of any substantial figure with workers’ representatives. A wrong formula will never produce a best result. Worse still, the allusion to “significant increase” & “substantial funds” is dangerous self appraisal that both journalists and government must avoid as it has the danger of distorting prices in shops in anticipation of hefty salary increases that may never materialise.
What constitutes a significant increase to teachers is a basic salary of US$540; an average housing allowance of US$250, transport allowance of US$120; education allowance of US$120; 30% of basic salary rural and hardship allowance etc. We hope the so-called substantial funds from treasury will suffice and motivate teachers to be innovative, dynamic, industrious as engine rooms of the skills education revolution in Zimbabwe.
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou, Ptuz President
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