HARARE – Skint teachers still struggling to return to their posts after schools opened at short notice last week must “borrow” money for bus fare, the primary and secondary education secretary said on Tuesday.

Tumisang Thabela told a news conference in Harare that 30 percent of teachers had still not reported for work following the phased re-opening of schools, starting with exam classes on August 30 and the rest of the learners on Monday this week.

Teachers – who are poorly paid – complained that the less-than-a-week’s notice to re-open schools was too short, and some have said they will wait for their September pay before reporting for work.

“The number of teachers who are at work, generally we are over 70 percent. There’s one or two provinces where it’s still depressed. Those who are supposed not to have enough money and whatever, we’re hoping by the end of this week they would have borrowed enough money to go back,” Thabela said with a chuckle.

Teachers’ unions accused Thabela of mocking their poverty.

“The permanent secretary is a lady we highly respect, but on this one she is offside,” the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe said.

“Our members are not creditworthy, and as we speak, nobody is really willing to lend money to our members. If they borrow, they won’t be able to return the money.”

The union said the government should pay teachers a minimum US$540 which they earned in 2019 before the government abandoned dollarisation. The government says it is too broke.