TEACHERS CRY OUT
…Demand rural hardship allowances, benefits
By Ludia Ngwadzai
THE Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) has appealed to government to include rural hardship allowances and outstanding terminal benefits for teachers in the 2027 national budget.
General secretary Muvwanjilanji Siwila said teachers serving in rural areas continued to face challenges that required urgent attention.
Siwila singled out those who have not been paid their rural hardship allowances despite qualifying.
Speaking in an interview with The Mast yesterday, Siwila said the 2027 national budget should provide resources to address the welfare of teachers, including those who retired years back but were still waiting for their terminal benefits.
“Resolving the outstanding payments will provide much-needed relief to teachers who have dedicated years of service to government. Through negotiations with the government that has bounced back, we expect something to change. Terminal benefits will provide a lot of assistance to people that have served in government,” Siwila said.
He said it was regrettable that since some teachers retired, they had not received their terminal benefits, while those still serving in rural areas were working without their hardship allowances.
Siwila said addressing the two issues should be treated as an important component of improving teachers’ welfare and ultimately the quality of education delivered to learners in rural communities.
He said ZNUT expected the UPND government to respond positively to the concerns through negotiations and the 2027 budget process.
Siwila has also urged President Hakainde Hichilema to consider crisscrossing ministerial appointments across provinces as a way of promoting national unity.
He said the approach could help strengthen the spirit of One Zambia, One Nation and ease political and ethnic tension in the country.
