Mozambique: Education in Inhambane pays over 200 million meticais in overtime

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Mozambique: Education in Inhambane pays over 200 million meticais in overtime

1:48 CAT | 19 Jun 2025

File photo: O País

The Education sector in Inhambane has announced a disbursement of over 200 million meticais, an amount earmarked for the payment of overtime to 5,142 teachers for the years 2022 and 2023. The payment, made in phases, comes after months of demands by teachers, who threatened to suspend classes if they did not receive their entitlements.

In an interview with ‘O País’, Manuel Liquelique, provincial director of Education and Culture in Inhambane, explained the strategy behind the payment process. “What is happening is that the payment of overtime at the national level is done in phases. The first phase has already been completed, and we are awaiting the second phase, which will be announced soon. We are saying here that 74% of teachers have already been paid, so much so that they are working in the classrooms,” he stated.

Despite the progress, there is still around 50 million meticais to be paid, an amount corresponding to overtime for 2023. Regarding 2024, validation of payments awaits completion of the work by the General Inspectorate of Finance. “For 2024, the hours are still being worked. This week we received the General Inspectorate of Finance, which is doing its work and, later, colleagues will be paid,” assured Liquelique.

The impact of the partial payment is visible in the school environment. Although it has eased tension among teachers, the remaining debt is still a cause for concern. “We are working to resolve everything. Our goal is to ensure that everyone receives payment, but the process follows a logic of phases and prioritizations,” highlighted the provincial director.

The provincial education sector planning meeting was the space chosen to share this data and discuss priorities for the next school year. More than just addressing payment delays, the meeting was an opportunity to outline strategies to improve conditions in the sector and avoid interruptions in education.

Participants at the event stressed the need for greater transparency and speed in payments, considering that teachers play a fundamental role in the development of the province. “We cannot allow delays in payments to continue to affect the motivation of our teachers. They are the pillars of the future of our communities,” said Liquelique. Payment of overtime has become a symbol of the administrative and financial challenges faced by the education sector in Inhambane. The 74% of payments made represent progress, but the remaining debt and the pending payment for 2024 reflect the need for improvements in management and communication between the institutions involved.

With around 5,000 teachers benefiting so far, the education sector shows that it is willing to solve the problems. However, the remaining debt and backlog for the following year are still a reminder that much work needs to be done to stabilize the sector and ensure that education remains a priority in Inhambane.

Source: O País