By Elishamai A Ziumbwa
The Educators Union of Zimbabwe (EUZ) has become the country’s third-largest teachers’ union with leaders pledging to restore the dignity of the profession through grassroots welfare schemes and strategic engagement with government.
Speaking at the 2025 EUZ annual conference Secretary General Tapedza Zhou said the organisation’s growth to nearly 7,000 members across all ten provinces in just four years was a “milestone” that set it apart from other unions.
“The union has distinguished itself by employing a more dialogue-oriented approach with government, in contrast to the confrontational methods often seen from others,” he told 263Chat.
EUZ founder and President, Tafadzwa Chikwangwani Munodawafa said the union was built on a vision of “teacher emancipation” and restoring lost respect.
“Our vision was always about teacher dignity. We provide bereavement support and are now developing housing models so that teachers do not retire into poverty,” she said.
Chikwangwani stressed that supporting teachers during moments of vulnerability was central to EUZ’s mission.
“Imagine you lose a spouse or parent, and you have something to start with—not just tears, but dignity. That matters,” she said.
Looking ahead to her second presidential term, Chikwangwani pledged to intensify recruitment, expand training and scale up welfare initiatives.
“Writing letters and making noise is not enough anymore. We need numbers, unity and strategy to restore the dignity of the teacher,” she said.
