Branton Matondo
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union (ARTUZ) leadership has taken electoral management body Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to task accusing the latter of failing to respect the democratic rights of teachers when it comes to elections in the country as they are often deployed from the polling stations they are registered to vote at.
ARTUZ also took to Twitter and request to convene an engagement with ZEC concerning the issue of deployment of teachers to polling stations where they are not registered thereby depriving them of their right to vote.
An inquiry on the state of deployment on the previous presidential elections held in 2018 shows that a total of 40000 teachers were disenfranchised through deployment exercises by ZEC.
As part of preparation towards the upcoming general elections next year, ARTUZ called for a meeting with ZEC for a way forward.
“During general elections, ZEC deploys teachers to various constituencies around the country as polling officers. We have observed that in the previous elections, many teachers failed to cast their votes due to the fact that they were deployed to constituencies where they are not registered voters. It is against this background that we request for a meeting with the Commission to deliberate further on the issue and assist each other in mapping the best way forward. Cognizant of the fact that it is not feasible to change your polling station when the voters roll is already closed, we propose that teachers should be notified of the constituencies and specific polling stations in which they are going to serve as polling officers before the voters’ roll is closed,” read the tweet.
ARTUZ president Obert Masaraure said the move to meet with ZEC is to invigorate democracy for teachers who are also equal citizens of Zimbabwe.
“We just want to strengthen our democracy by affording all deserving citizens their right to vote. Polling officials are usually displaced from their polling stations, this should be a thing of the past.
“Definitely the Commission should be invest in protecting the voting rights of all citizens,” said Masaraure when questioned on the motive of their request,” Masaraure said.
With less than a week before opening of schools for the third term, ARTUZ also made an official request to government on September 1 for the employer to award them a cushion allowance so that teachers report for duty or else the education system faces repercussions come September 6.
Through the official statement released by ARTUZ Secretary General Robson Chere, the union called for government to prioritize stated interventions to avoid implosion in the educational system.
“ARTUZ which is legally registered and represent teachers across the country, do hereby write to you as stakeholders seeking your urgent intervention to avoid implosion in the educational sector. A survey we carried out amongst our members, and also considering the general rise in the cost of living, as well as currency fluctuations, the net earnings of teachers have been depleted and eroded. This has resulted in serious incapacitation,” read part of the statement.
The letter specified proposed interventions by ARTUZ.
“We therefore request urgent payment of at least US$ 200 as a cushion to enable teachers to report for duty pending restoration of pre-October 2018 salaries, government is to respond to previous correspondence dated June 22, sector specified allowances that consider the salary structures and it is not proper to have a general hand from another ministry earning more than a professional teacher and engagements of civil servants in general to discuss cost of living,” added the statement.
Also Masaraure said the request is already in the pipeline as salary resolve continues to be a priority among teachers across Zimbabwe.
“We have made a request for the urgent disbursement of at least US$ 200 cushion for every teacher to enable them to travel back to work. Government promised to resolve the salary crisis in September so the US$ 200 will enable teachers to settle bills and travel to work for smooth schools opening. We are hopeful that government will play the ball and protect the right to education for our almost 5 million active learners,” said Masaraure.
Meanwhile the outspoken union leader had a word to say on the Rwanda-Zimbabwe relations on the export of literacy bearers to the east African country.
Permanent Secretary to Rwanda Ministry of Education Charles Karayke led a recruitment programme of more than 400 teachers in August.
Teachers selected to head Rwanda will earn between US$ 300 and 700 however an analysis of online Rwanda salary pegs indicate that salaries of A2 workers has reached Rwf 95596 which is equivalent to R1 546,59.
“Zimbabwe has a glaring shortage of almost 90 000 teachers. We don’t have the luxury to export teachers. We need those teachers in our schools. Secondly, the Rwandan government is not bound to respect the labour rights of these exported teachers, so there is a real risk of abuse of the teachers. Things are not looking good for our education sector we need to seriously invest in rescuing the sector from collapse,” said Masaraure.
He added that government’s total attention on austerity measures has cast a blind eye on the shambles within the education system.
“The government adopted austerity measures and the hallmark of austerity is to cut on public expenditure. They are preoccupied with saving and are now blind to the desperate situation in our schools. We can’t rule out the genius from the Rwandese side, they are determined to build their nation and could have sweet talked our government and convinced them to let go of their key human resources,” he added.
