By TellZim Reporter
Nearly a year after conducting syllabus review workshops, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) is yet to pay over US$180,000 owed to participants, sparking growing frustration among education officials and raising concerns over accountability within the ministry.
The workshops, run through the Curriculum Development Unit (CDU), were conducted across the country, with each of the estimated 600 participants promised a flat allowance of US$300 equivalent in ZiG per session, as well as transport reimbursements which varied depending on where one was coming from. However, participants said they werestill waiting to be paid, despite filling claim forms and following protocol.
Contacted for comment, MoPSE Communications Director Taungana Ndoro dismissed the inquiry, calling it “a wild goose chase” and questioning the basis of the claims and further queried how many people were actually complaining.
“Where is the evidence? Is this not a wild goose chase?” said Ndoro.
Chief Director for Curriculum Development Unit, Cyprian Kent Masocha asked the reporter to send questions on WhatsApp and was yet to respond at the time of writing.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one official who attended the sessions said the ministry had remained mum on the payments.
“We used our own money for travel, accommodation, and meals, expecting reimbursement. Each session lasted a week. Not even transport refunds have been made,” said the source.
Another participant who spoke to TellZim News said they feared that any eventual payment made in local currency will be eroded by inflation as the exchange rate has since changed.
“If they pay us now using old exchange rates, our dues will be worthless, especially since the rate at the time of the sessions was US$1 to ZiG13, significantly lower than the current exchange rate,” said the other participant.
The workshops were held at venues such as Redcliff Hotel in Kwekwe, Pumpkin Hotel and Golden Peacock in Mutare, with many educators footing the bill themselves.
Insiders claim the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) recently visited MoPSE headquarters to investigate reports that some senior officials were allegedly paying themselves allowances while neglecting workshop participants.
Each workshop reportedly hosted about 60 people, with at least 10 sessions conducted nationwide. That puts the ministry’s total unpaid bill at more than US$180 000 not accounting transport costs.
The case is part of a broader trend in which government ministries and departments delay or avoid paying service providers and employees. The Civil Registry Department, for instance, only recently cleared arrears for officials who conducted the mobile voter registration exercise last year.
