Non-Ndebele teachers saga, Zanu-PF official demands quotas

ZANU-PF Matabeleland South provincial lands secretary Jabulani Phetshu Sibanda has added his voice to those condemning the lack of Ndebele teachers in the region blaming it on the government's failure to introduce quotas for trainee teacher enrolment.

Sibanda's remarks come when a proposed probe by the Primary and Secondary Education ministry into the deployment of non-Ndebele speaking teachers in Matabeleland has been shelved.

The ministry had promised to probe the matter with the view to taking corrective measures.

Sibanda said it was disheartening that such issues of balancing priorities for the region keep on being delayed and urged the authorities to listen to the people of Matabeleland.

"The problems of non-Ndebele speaking teachers' deployment in Matabeleland does not start only at deployment, but from the training of those teachers," said Sibanda.

"You find that at the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo, the number of non-Ndebele students far outnumbers those who speak Ndebele," said Sibanda.

"You go to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic in Gwanda and the United College of Education (in Bulawayo) and you find the same thing. Then how can we have enough Ndebele-speaking teachers if our own colleges are not training our people?"

Sibanda said the government should introduce a quota system in the enrolment process depending on where the training college is located.

"Like what is happening in the national army which does its recruitments according to provinces, teacher training and deployment must be done through a quota system," he said.

"Authorities must not keep on ignoring issues that suppress other people. When recruiting students and teachers, preference must be given to the local people. We are very much concerned about these continued imbalances which need political will to settle," he said.

Primary and Secondary Education deputy minister Paul Mavhima recently said he would lead a delegation to assess the increasing number of non-Ndebele speaking teachers in Matabeleland, starting last week.

However, his boss Lazaras Dokora distanced himself from the issue saying his ministry was not responsible for the training and deployment of teachers.

He said this was the responsibility of the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development ministry and the deployment was done by the Civil Service Commission.

Zanu-PF secretary for education Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said he planned to visit all the country's 10 provinces to consult people on the issue before preparing a policy report to be presented to the party's central committee.