National

Teachers overworked, underpaid & undervalued: ZIMTA

Published

7 months ago

October 5, 2024

BY STAFF REPORTER

Zimbabwean teachers are feeling demotivated and undervalued due to meager salaries, which have resulted in underperformance and a shortage of qualified educators in schools.

According to a press statement by the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), “Overworking Teachers, underpaying Teachers and Undervaluing Teachers, has resulted in demotivation and underperformance of educators.”

Teachers in Zimbabwe have long been struggling to make ends meet due to their meager salaries, which have not kept pace with inflation.

The situation has been exacerbated by the current economic crisis, which has seen prices soar and the value of the local currency plummet.

The organization highlights the pressing need to engage educators through social dialogue to address the challenges faced in the profession.

“This theme, ‘Valuing teacher voices: towards a new social contract for education,’ highlights to us a pressing need to engage educators through social dialogue, with a view to addressing the challenges we face in the profession,” ZIMTA says.

ZIMTA calls on the government to increase funding to public education and to allocate the mandatory minimum of 20% of the national budget to the education sector.

“We call on our government to increase its pace in employing more qualified teachers in schools in order to cover the existing teacher deficit in our public schools,” the organization says.

As Zimbabwe celebrates World Teachers’ Day, ZIMTA’s statements highlight the urgent need for the government to address the demotivation and underpayment of teachers, which is having a devastating impact on the education system.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

5 days ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

1 month ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

3 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.