 In January 2018, the Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ) sought to have Makwarimba arrested over allegations that Makwarimba and the ZFTU have breached a court order to interfere with the TUZ's affairs.Makwarimba has criticized the government's 2014 plan to match salaries to productivity.In 2018, he urged the government to avoid returning to the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme.