A man takes a selfie with schoolchildren outside a public school in Harare, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019. Zimbabwe's public teachers are alleging intimidation as they try to launch a nationwide strike for better salaries. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
Republished February 05, 2019 - 4:46 AM
Original Publication Date February 05, 2019 - 4:06 AM
HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's public teachers are alleging intimidation as they try to launch a nationwide strike for better salaries.
Some urban teachers tell The Associated Press that riot police are guarding classrooms, while public service inspectors are moving around and marking attendance registers for teachers.
Some rural teachers say ruling ZANU-PF party activists have set up camps at their schools in what they see as acts of intimidation.
The secretary-general of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Raymond Majongwe, confirms receiving reports of intimidation.
Teachers say their current average monthly salary of $100 is too low to make ends meet. The price of bread went up by about 70 per cent this week, while Zimbabwe's inflation is at its highest in a decade.
The government says it cannot meet the salary demands.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019