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Chief Musarurwa of Mashonaland East moved a motion calling on the Government to improve conditions of service for teachers.
He said teachers were a vital cog in any economy hence the need to improve their conditions of service.
Senator Musarurwa said poor remuneration had resulted in Zimbabwe being a training ground of labour for other countries in the region.
“Through the provision of quality education to our children, teachers thus go a long way in laying the groundwork for a robust economy by cultivating the education and skills required to drive the growth of that economy,” he said.
“It is only logical therefore that, teachers constitute a key human capital resource and should be well catered for.
“It is against this background that the need to adjust their remuneration should be treated as a matter of urgency, particularly during this time around when the economy is on the recovery path.”
He said the low salaries being paid have dealt a negative blow on the nation’s education sector.
Chief Musarurwa said the introduction of the use of multiple currencies had seen the birth of incentives which created a disparity between rural and urban teachers.
He said proceeds from the natural resources should be channelled towards the payment of civil servants.
Chief Chisunga of Mashonaland Central said poor remuneration was a recipe for vices that would cost Zimbabwe.
“Poor remuneration for civil servants will result in the nation receiving poor service from its employees.
“This will result in corruption in the police force and the judiciary because they are poorly remunerated.
“It is clear that most of our civil servants earn less than the poverty datum line. This has resulted in teachers becoming part-time Government employees and part-time merchandisers of their wares, resulting in them not delivering their core mandate.”
Chief Ngungumbane of Midlands said Government was supposed to prioritise civil servants’ salaries.
“If any economy is to prosper, the country must first address its human resource capital. Education is one of our key fundamental values in Zimbabwe hence we are number one in Africa yet we pay our teachers peanuts.
“If you go to the bus termini you find touts bragging that they are better than teachers and this has lowered the teachers’ morale.
“The issue of incentives has also divided the profession between urban and rural teachers,” he said.
Gokwe North Senator Cde Tariro Mtingwende (Zanu-PF) said poor salaries had lowered teachers’ dignity.
“This has resulted in the country breeding thieves and prostitutes because some people may not see the need to join the profession because of poor remuneration,” she said.
Mount Darwin Senator Cde Alice Chimbudzi added that teachers were important in the country’s economy.
She called on all stakeholders to sit together and find solutions for problems facing civil servants in general.
MDC-T Senator for Bikita Dr Kokerai Rugara said Zimbabwe needed proficient teachers for an effective workforce.
“It is unfortunate that we can have a Government that belittles its teachers who made them who they are, we cannot continue to have our teachers going to teach in other countries because that affects our education,” said Dr Rugara.
Mutasa-Nyanga Senator Patrick Chitaka (MDC-T) said Government could do more to improve civil servants’ salaries.
“I am also affected by poor remunerations being paid to teachers because all my three wives are teachers,” Senator Chitaka said.
“There is a need for the Government to address the issue of ghost workers to make sure they do not continue to bleed the fiscus.
“Government should also stop giving money to loss-making parastatals like Air Zimbabwe where the chief executive officer is paid 16 000 for working at an airline that doesn’t fly.
“Zesa must also scale down because the electricity is not there yet they are paid money for switching us off, if there is load shedding, then we also have to shed the CEO’s salary.”
MDC-T legislator for Magwegwe, Mr Felix Sibanda has given notice to move a motion calling on the Government to increase civil servants’ salaries to levels that are above the poverty datum line.
The senators’ call comes at a time when Finance Minister Tendai Biti said there would be a salary freeze for civil servants until the economy improves.
However, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday said Cabinet had not yet adopted Minister Biti’s proposals.
Online Reporter