BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
A Tsholotsho teacher has been dismissed from the public service after participating in an online protest by taking a photo in class holding a placard demanding better wages, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from a teachers’ union.
According to a letter dated April 10, 2026, from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Matabeleland North, Bridget Dhliwayo, a teacher at Zibungululu Secondary School in Tsholotsho District, was found guilty of misconduct and discharged from service with effect from May 14.
The dismissal letter, signed by Jabulani Mpofu, the Chief Director for Provincial Education Services in Matabeleland North, states that Dhliwayo violated public service regulations by taking a selfie inside a classroom on May 13, 2025, holding a placard reading: “We demand a fair wage; we say no more to slave wages. Sifuna imali now.”
Authorities said she shared the image on a WhatsApp group linked to the Amalgamated Rural Teachers of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) and failed to conduct lessons over several days in May 2025, in breach of her duties.
“This is not the first time that you have been found guilty of misconduct,” the letter reads, adding that Dhliwayo had previously received warnings.
However, ARTUZ condemned the dismissal in a statement posted on X, arguing that the action criminalises labour activism.
“Since when has exercising labour rights become a dismissible offence?” the union said, describing the incident as part of an online demonstration campaign over low salaries.
Zimbabwean teachers, represented by groups such as ARTUZ, have long protested against poor pay and working conditions, often clashing with authorities over strikes and demonstrations, which are tightly regulated under public service rules.
The letter advises Dhliwayo that she may appeal the decision to the Labour Court or seek a review through the Public Service Commission within 21 days, although such processes do not automatically suspend the penalty.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had not publicly commented on the union’s claims at the time of publication.