Zimbabwe better off without a government

With schools opening for 2016 on Tuesday, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) is concerned by the deteriorating state in the education sector, which is grappling with serious challenges as a result of the government's ineptitude.

The schools are opening at a time when morale among the teachers is low and falling over non-payment of their 2015 bonuses, poor remuneration and working conditions; and lack of adequate teaching facilities and resources for both teachers and learners.

It is said that over one million pupils from poor families who are enrolled in public schools, will this year be forced to drop out of class as the government for the third consecutive year is unable to release funds under the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM).  This is an increase from 750 000 pupils who dropped out in 2015 due to failure to pay fees.

The plight of students from poor backgrounds is going to be made worse with the failure of the government in declaring 2016 a national disaster so that food assistance is made available to the vulnerable by the World Food Programme (WFP) and other international donor agencies.

Thousands of hunger stricken pupils across the country will as a result be forced to drop from class as they will fail to cope to walk to school or concentrate in class because of hunger.

The decision by school authorities to bar children from attending school is also in clear disregard of the Constitution of Zimbabwe section 75, which says; "every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to (a) a basic State-funded education, including adult basic education and (b) further education, which the State, through reasonable legislative and other measures, must make progressively available and accessible".

As such, no child should be out of school and the government has an obligation to ensure that all children are in school.

It is therefore regrettable and worrying that the quality of education in the country continues to fall since the appointment of Lazarus Dokora as the minister of primary and secondary education in 2013.

Dokora has issued baffling directives since his appointment in 2013 and making him the worst education minister that Zimbabwe has had since independence in 1980.  He has shown that he is clueless and has no capacity to run anything let alone a critical government ministry like education.  However, the sad part is that students have been seriously affected by Dokora's bungling as evidenced by the poor results coming out.

His puzzling decision in 2014 to bar teachers from conducting extra lessons resulted in a 13,23% drop in the Ordinary Level results compared to the 2013 results.

Despite Dokora publicly admitting that Zimbabwe faces a critical shortage of trained mathematics and science teachers, with over 1 500 vacant posts across the country, he has made a commitment to send an unspecified number of these teachers to South Sudan.

As the PDP, we find it deplorable that all this is happening when we have a government that is splurging millions of dollars in buying top of the range vehicles for its ministers, a government that is dishing out millions for dollars for President Robert Mugabe for his endless overseas trips and his luxurious holidays in the Far East while hundreds of thousands dollars are paid for Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko's continued stay at a five star hotel.

All this is taking place when the country is going through one of its worst economic, political and social crises. There is regression in the country compounded by violence and lawlessness on the part of state and non-state actors, evidenced by the last week's brutal assault of peaceful demonstrators in Harare and Chitungwiza.

Under such frightening circumstances, it is clear that the people of Zimbabwe are better off without a government.   

The fact of the matter is that Mugabe and his Zanu PF government has failed.  The Zanu PF government must resign as a matter of urgency and that a national transitional authority (NTA) is put in place.

The NTA will implement an emergency economic recovery plan, harmonise the country's laws to the Constitution, restoration of the social contract, and ensures that there is peace in the country while conditions for holding free and fair elections are put in place.

As the PDP, we urge the people of Zimbabwe to unite and rise against the dictatorship of Zanu PF. The time has come for the people to reclaim their rights and equality for all.