By Victor Fanuel
HARARE — A nationwide welfare survey conducted by the Institute for Public Affairs in Zimbabwe (IPAZ) has painted a grim picture of worsening poverty among Zimbabwean teachers, revealing that nearly four out of five educators are trapped in debt while the majority cannot afford adequate food, healthcare, transport or housing.
Findings from the Teachers’ Basket of Needs Survey revealed that most teachers are surviving on between US$200 and US$350 per month despite soaring living costs, with only 5.13% of educators saying their salaries are sufficient to meet family needs.
The survey, commissioned by the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), was conducted across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces using responses from 320 teachers from both rural and urban schools.
Research findings presented during the launch showed that 93.59% of teachers advocated for a salary increase, with many indicating that a dignified wage should range between US$900 and US$1,200.
One of the lead researchers, Taurai Chatindo, said during the research launch question-and-answer segment that teachers were appealing for an urgent interim salary adjustment of between US$500 and US$700 while negotiations for a full living wage continue.
“We are dealing with a workforce that is already incapacitated.
“Teachers are saying government must urgently cushion them with something between US$500 and US$700 as negotiations continue,” Chatindo said during the presentation.
Study findings also showed that the education sector is increasingly being sustained by debt, side hustles and survival strategies.
According to the report, 79.49% of teachers have outstanding loans, with many borrowing from banks, microfinance institutions and informal lenders simply to survive.
Launching the report in Harare on Tuesday, ARTUZ president Obert Masaraure described the findings as evidence of what he called a “systemic attack” on teachers’ livelihoods.
“This survey shows that teachers’ living conditions have deteriorated beyond the limits of human tolerance.
“The state is actively neglecting its educators, from remote rural areas to urban centres. Teachers’ salaries do not even approach the Total Consumption Poverty Line,” Masaraure said.
Masaraure said the union would escalate its campaign under what it termed “Operation Dhigniti”, accusing authorities of forcing teachers into “survival labour” outside the classroom.
Survey findings showed that 63% of teachers rely solely on their salaries, while others have turned to side jobs including farming, poultry projects, extra lessons and informal trading to supplement their incomes.
Researchers found that 17.95% of teachers are engaged in crop farming, 14.10% offer extra lessons, while 12.82% rely on poultry production.
Another 11.54% survive through informal activities ranging from welding and carpentry to pirate taxi operations and artisanal mining.
ARTUZ said this has created what it termed a “triple burden”, where teachers are forced to balance classroom duties, survival jobs and domestic responsibilities.
“The state should be ashamed that an educator, a keeper of knowledge, must work in dangerous conditions on weekends just to afford basic necessities,” Masaraure said.
Food insecurity also emerged as one of the major pressures facing teachers.
About 69% of respondents said they spend at least 41% of their salaries on food, while 37% spend more than 60% of their income on groceries alone.
Researchers further found that 36% of teachers require more than US$351 monthly simply to meet household food requirements.
Housing conditions were equally severe, with only 46.15% of teachers living in school-provided accommodation while the remainder either rent or rely on self-provided shelter.
Nearly half of respondents rated their housing conditions as poor.
Energy costs were also identified as another major burden, with many teachers relying on electricity, gas and firewood for daily survival.
Two-thirds of respondents said they spend between 10% and 30% of their monthly income on energy needs.
Transport pressures featured prominently in the survey findings.
Researchers found that 58% of teachers rely on public transport, while 14% walk long distances to work because they have no transport options.
Presentation findings also revealed that nearly 61% of teachers spend almost one-third of their salaries on transport costs alone, exposing the extent to which commuting expenses are eroding already depleted incomes.
Some teachers reported spending up to US$80 monthly on transport, with 61.54% saying a realistic transport allowance should range between US$71 and US$100 per month.
Healthcare access was another major concern raised in the report.
Findings showed that 71% of teachers rated their access to quality healthcare as poor or very poor despite many already spending significant amounts on medical expenses.
Researchers identified medication costs, consultation fees and transport costs as the biggest barriers preventing teachers from accessing healthcare services.
Masaraure said the findings expose the collapse of social protection systems for educators.
“This report illustrates how the current economic climate, marked by currency instability and unfair pricing, has disconnected teachers’ salaries from the actual cost of living.
“This is not just about low pay. It is a systemic attack on teachers’ health, their families, their children’s education and their dignity,” he said.
Masaraure announced that ARTUZ would now push for a minimum living wage indexed to a monthly Total Consumption Poverty Line of US$1,260, saying future negotiations with government would be “data-driven and militant.”
As part of “Operation Dhigniti”, Masaraure said teachers would begin implementing a controversial two-day working week, arguing current salaries no longer cover transport costs for a full five-day schedule.
“Our current pay is not enough to cover transportation for five days. We will work only for what we are paid,” he said.
Report findings further warned that deteriorating welfare conditions are fuelling a growing teacher exodus from Zimbabwe, with estimates showing approximately 300 teachers leave the country every month in search of better opportunities elsewhere in the region.
