Sithembinkosi L Jiyane
Political Reporter
www.zimgbcnews.co.zw
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has launched a fierce campaign against the government, demanding the immediate return of printed pay advice slips and warning against the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill of 2026, which they say entrenches inequality and hypocrisy.
ARTUZ Secretary General Robson Chere described the current digital-only payslip system as a “blatant attack on transparency,” leaving thousands of teachers, especially in rural areas, vulnerable to fraudulent deductions and financial exclusion.
Many educators cannot afford the high costs of mobile data or even access the online portal, making it difficult to verify salary deductions or obtain proof of income for credit and other essential services.
“Their hard-earned salaries are being hidden behind a broken system,” Chere said.
The union has demanded the immediate and urgent reinstatement of printed payslips and urged teachers to document any unexplained deductions while authorities stall.
But the union’s fight does not end with salaries. ARTUZ has also condemned the government’s plan to allow traditional leaders to openly affiliate with political parties, arguing that it creates a “tiered system of citizenship” that muzzles teachers and Civil Servants while giving Chiefs political privileges.
The proposed amendment to Section 281 of the Constitution states that “Notwithstanding any other provision, Traditional Leaders shall, in the exercise of their cultural and customary functions, be permitted to affiliate with and support the political party of their choice to ensure national stability and the preservation of traditional values.”
ARTUZ says the amendment is a total betrayal of the 2013 Constitution, legalizing partisanship for Chiefs while Section 200 continues to cage Civil Servants, forbidding them from acting in a partisan manner or engaging in political activities.
The union argues that if the government believes that national stability requires Chiefs to be partisan, the same logic must apply to the workers who keep the country running. Teachers, the union insists, are being treated as second-class citizens while those in traditional leadership positions are granted privileges denied to ordinary civil servants.
The union is demanding equal political rights for all Civil Servants. Educators must be allowed to contest in national and local elections without being forced to resign, and any teacher who chooses to enter the political arena should be entitled to return to their position should they lose the election, rather than being cast aside for exercising democratic rights.
ARTUZ emphasized that these demands are not a call for partisanship. “As teachers, we have no aspiration to be political. Our duty is to the children of Zimbabwe, regardless of their parents’ political leanings. However, we make these demands to expose the sheer ridiculousness and hypocrisy of the proposed amendments,” read part of the statement.
ARTUZ maintains that both campaigns, the restoration of printed pay slips and the fight for equal political rights, highlight the broader need for transparency, fairness, and protection of Civil Servants’ rights in Zimbabwe.
The union has called on all citizens to reject any amendments that create a tiered system of citizenship and to demand a nation where both Civil Servants and Traditional Chiefs serve the people with impartiality, dignity, and professional integrity.
“Hands off our Constitution! Equal rights for all workers!” the union declared.
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