Anti-riot police disperse over 500 angry teachers

Over 500 teachers thronged Girls' High School in Harare, where polling officers for the referendum were being deployed, demanding to be included in the exercise. Riot police had to be called in to disperse them.

The teachers argued that they wanted to augment their low salaries and were later addressed by Harare provincial education director Mr Edward Shumba, who threatened to charge them for deserting classes.

Recruited polling officers from Harare met at Girls' High School between Monday and yesterday before being deployed to various command centres for training as part of the 70 000 polling officers to be deployed throughout the country starting today.

Some schools in Harare were deserted yesterday as the teachers anticipated that they would be roped in the exercise despite ZEC stating that it would take a limited number of them to prevent disruption of learning at schools.

Mr Shumba described the teachers who thronged Girls' High School as "unruly elements".

"All those who were at Girls' High were not invited and had just left schools willy nilly," he said.

"I advised them to go back to their schools and, as I speak, I am consulting with district education officers to see that lessons are not disrupted by unruly elements."

Some of the teachers interviewed at the school said the selection process was unclear.

"We believe we should be part of this exercise because we are also civil servants," said one teacher.

"Those participating have also left their work stations and what can stop us from doing that for those few days."

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission acting chairperson Mrs Joyce Kazembe  said: "Teachers, as we stated earlier, will be taken in where it is necessary and if the provincial election officers say they have enough numbers, then there is nothing we can do"

Mrs Kazembe said the electoral body had recruited polling officers from lists they obtained from various civil service departments, local authorities and parastatals.

"The selection was done depending on the list compiled by these various departments. Those called for training were invited and it is up to the provincial election officers to use their discretion and see if there is a need to add polling officers in their province.

The Sadc Parliamentary Forum observation mission that is in the country for the referendum commended the inclusive Government yesterday for bringing the desired political stability and economic recovery.

Speaking during an orientation and training workshop in Harare, the mission leader Prince Guduza Dlamini of Swaziland said the Global Political Agreement needed support.

The 40-member team includes parliamentarians from Sadc countries.

"Indeed our goodwill mission as Sadc PF was meant to show Sadc Parliamentarians' solidarity with the people and Government of Zimbabwe and send a message not only to Sadc, but also to Africa and the world over that the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe is normalising," he said.

 Sadc PF secretary general Dr Esau Chiviya said the team's observation process would be guided by regional and international instruments such as the norms and standards for elections in the Sadc region and the Sadc principles and guidelines on elections.

Copac co-chairperson Cde Paul Mangwana addressed the Sadc PF team on the constitution making process, briefing them on undertaken activities and challenges faced.