During the years 2005 to 2008, Zimbabwe plunged into an economic depression. Many social and economic systems were severely shaken, while others crumpled. The education sector was not spared. Many schools closed as teachers left their jobs for the informal sector while others crossed the borders in search of greener pastures. It was against this background that some parents mooted the idea of incentivising teachers as a way of retaining and motivating them. Many teachers were given financial incentives, while in a few cases, incentives were paid in kind. With incentives, some semblance of sanity returned to the education sector. Unfortunately, a few years down the line, the issue of incentives courted so much controversy, poisoning relations amongst stakeholders, especially between parents and teachers. This study assessed how incentives were administered and why they spoiled relations amongst stakeholders. This qualitative study made use of the survey research design where data were collected through questionnaires and interviews from teachers and parents in Chipinge district of Zimbabwe. The study recommended that incentives should be upheld, but the incentive scheme needed to be revisited in order to benefit all stakeholders in the education system.

Between 2005 and 2008, Zimbabwe experienced one of her worst economic depressions since attaining independence in 1980. The Zimbabwean dollar was rendered valueless, basic goods disappeared from the shelves, salaries were reduced to rubbles and a number of companies closed. In the midst of this economic malaise, a group of self-styled illegal informal businesspeople rose to prominence. They replaced almost anything that was formal and dictated life in almost all spheres. All this happened at the mercy of the ordinary law-abiding citizens. The government of Zimbabwe tried every trick in the bag to contain these illegal informal activities, for example, by controlling prices, arresting unlicensed informal traders, limiting daily bank withdrawals and licensing trade in foreign currency. All these efforts were unsuccessful. With the dawn of dollarisation in February 2009, the illegal informal sector was swiftly swept off its pedestal. This study envisaged to assess the exploits of the illegal informal traders and how dollarisation hit them right in the face and lastly it assessed their post-dollarisation survival strategies. This qualitative study was informed through use of semi-structured interviews and personal observation. A sample of illegal informal traders was purposely selected from the town of Chipinge in Manicaland province of Zimbabwe.