Rutendo Chirume
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) and Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) have rejected government allegations that the two unions were working with Britain to oust the current regime
This came out after one state owned newspaper carried a publication accusing PTUZ and ARTUZ of conspiring with foreigners to remove the existing government which was headlined “Teachers Union’s plot exposed”
“Teachers’ unions and other civil society organizations have been roped in to push the Western-funded regime change agenda in the country with handsome perks being given to the unions’ leadership.
The illicit funding of teachers’ unions from countries like the United Kingdom and the United States has created a financial gulf between leaders and the people they purportedly represent.
Both teacher unions argue that they are no one’s agent but have their own reasons why and how the regime has to be changed,” read part of the story
However,PTUZ president Dr Takavafira Zhou said government had adopted a trajectory of falsehoods and any attempts to silence PTUZ leadership through cheap blackmailing would not work.
“Instead of restoring the purchasing power parity of teachers’ salaries and allowing Zimsec to sign contractual agreements for invigilation of public examinations, government is accusing PTUZ leadership of working with the British for regime change. Such ludicrous hallucination is not only baffling, but madness of the worst order.
There is an urgent need to restore teachers’ salaries to pre-October 2018. Attempts to silence PTUZ leadership through cheap blackmailing would not work, let alone find traction among teachers. The ball is now in teachers’ courts. Its high time teachers stop standing on the touchline to watch a game they should be playing, “said Zhou.
On his part ARTUZ president Obert Masaraure also said such labeling is not new as it is usually succeeded with abductions and torture among other forms of persecution.
“We are no one’s agent but we have a right to decide to change a corrupt and clueless regime. Our families are starving because of underpayment and our education is collapsing. Is this regime God ordained? No! .Regimes have to be changed when they do not serve people’s interests! Government should focus on both their electoral promises and constitutional obligations.
This attempt to label us in a bid to silence us will not work. Do they expect us to surrender our fundamental rights out of fear? No we are not moved! We demand pre-October 2018 salaries and invigilation allowanced now,” said Masaraure.
The public examinations have started and teachers continue to demand contracts with ZIMSEC and still insist they will not invigilate without the allowances.
