The pay dispute goes back to October 2018, when the government stopped paying teachers in U.S. dollars, switching to the reintroduced Zimbabwean dollar. The new currency has steadily lost value, effectively reducing teachers' wages. 
Mkanganowu ukutitengeranso mmbuyo mu mwezi wa october 2018, Nthawi imene boma linasiya kuwalipira aphunzitsi mu ndalama zakunja U.S dollars, kusintha kubwera ku zimbawean dollars. Ndalama yatsopanoyi inatsika mphamvu.zomwe zinapangitsa kuchepetsa malipiro aphunzitsi