Over 1,200 Kindu Teachers Protest Salary Payment Delays at Rawbank

More than 1,200 teachers from at least 50 schools in Kindu are awaiting identification at Rawbank, protesting significant delays in salary payments. The educators, from the educational province of Maniema 1, expressed their frustration in an interview with Radio Okapi, denouncing their transfer to the bank without prior information and the non-receipt of their June salaries. They fear a similar delay for July payments.

Under a scorching sun, hundreds of teachers gather daily at the Rawbank building in Kindu, hoping to be registered. One teacher described the situation as a "new ordeal," noting that after more than eight years of regular payments, they were transferred to Rawbank without warning. "The month of June has already passed and we still haven't received our salary. We fear that July's salary will suffer the same fate. For more than two weeks, we have been making round trips here without being registered. That's why we call on the authorities to quickly address this situation before it deteriorates further," the teacher stated.

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A new ordeal is befalling the teachers. For more than eight years, we were paid normally. Today, we are transferred to Rawbank without having been informed beforehand. The month of June has already passed and we still haven't received our salary. We fear that July's salary will suffer the same fate. For more than two weeks, we have been making round trips here without being registered. That's why we call on the authorities to quickly address this situation before it deteriorates further.

The Directorate of National Control of Teacher Payroll Preparation (DINACOPE) frames this situation as part of a reform to improve the organization of teacher payments. Director Ngandu Mwanalukengu urged patience, explaining that the reform aims to consolidate payments within a single bank for teachers at the same institution, ending a previous system where staff from one school were paid at different banks. "This is a reform that teachers must understand and accept," he said.

Alain Alimasi, the manager of Rawbank in Kindu, appealed for calm, assuring that the identification process is underway and promising that the situation will be regularized within two weeks. Meanwhile, the affected teachers hope for a swift resolution to receive their salaries and avoid further delays.

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The payroll of teachers is being banked as part of a reform. Previously, teachers from the same institution were paid in different banks: some at TMB, others at Rawbank. In order to put an end to this situation, the Congolese state has decided that all teachers from the same school will henceforth be paid in a single bank and on a single payroll list. This is a reform that teachers must understand and accept.