News / Local
Mnangagwa 'favouritism' slammed
12 Jun 2021 at 02:50hrs | Views
THE Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of dividing teachers by ignoring concerns of other teachers while sympathetic to Zanu-PF aligned teachers only.
In April this year, perceived Zanu-PF aligned Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) wrote to Mnangagwa imploring the national leader to urgently address a myriad of challenges facing the teaching profession.
Mnangagwa on June 2 responded to Zimta Chief Executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu's, acknowledging teachers and other civil servants' wages were inadequate.
Mnangagwa pledged to "continue to explore ways on how to improve the welfare of the generality of civil servants, including teachers".
The President's engagement with Zimta however did not go down well with the rival PTUZ which accused the President of ignoring similar distress calls from other teachers' representative bodies.
"It would be a distortion of history to assume that President Mnangagwa has only received a letter from Zimta," PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou told NewZimbabwe.com Friday.
"President Mnangagwa also received letters from Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe, other Teachers Unions in Zimbabwe, as well as Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Unions (FOZEU).
"That he has only responded to Zimta's letter does not qualify him as a listening President."
The firebrand trade unionist and politician also accused Mnangagwa of worsening the plight of teachers.
"If (George) Charamba's explanation for the salary discrepancies and discrimination of teachers in comparison with other government workers as a result of ‘presidential prerogative' is anything to go by, it is clear that the President has worsened the plight of teachers since June 2020.
"Teachers do not eat empty promises. What teachers want as of yesterday is restoration of the purchasing power parity of their salaries, and not the fire fighting and pacification," said Zhou.
The PTUZ chief said the government and civil servants should not waste time in endless collective bargaining processes which do not bear any fruit.
"Infinite engagement and collective begging are no virtues, but time framed engagement and binding collective bargaining under Section 65 of the constitution are certainly virtues far detached from Statutory Instrument 141 of 1997 and Apex Council romance with government.
"However, should the President's intervention ensure that teachers get a salary of US$520-US$550, we will acknowledge such herculean efforts by the President.
"As of now, there is nothing that the President has done worth thanking. All the same, we appeal for his urgent intervention to ensure that teachers receive a living wage," said Zhou.
In April this year, perceived Zanu-PF aligned Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) wrote to Mnangagwa imploring the national leader to urgently address a myriad of challenges facing the teaching profession.
Mnangagwa on June 2 responded to Zimta Chief Executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu's, acknowledging teachers and other civil servants' wages were inadequate.
Mnangagwa pledged to "continue to explore ways on how to improve the welfare of the generality of civil servants, including teachers".
The President's engagement with Zimta however did not go down well with the rival PTUZ which accused the President of ignoring similar distress calls from other teachers' representative bodies.
"It would be a distortion of history to assume that President Mnangagwa has only received a letter from Zimta," PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou told NewZimbabwe.com Friday.
"President Mnangagwa also received letters from Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe, other Teachers Unions in Zimbabwe, as well as Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Unions (FOZEU).
"That he has only responded to Zimta's letter does not qualify him as a listening President."
The firebrand trade unionist and politician also accused Mnangagwa of worsening the plight of teachers.
"If (George) Charamba's explanation for the salary discrepancies and discrimination of teachers in comparison with other government workers as a result of ‘presidential prerogative' is anything to go by, it is clear that the President has worsened the plight of teachers since June 2020.
"Teachers do not eat empty promises. What teachers want as of yesterday is restoration of the purchasing power parity of their salaries, and not the fire fighting and pacification," said Zhou.
The PTUZ chief said the government and civil servants should not waste time in endless collective bargaining processes which do not bear any fruit.
"Infinite engagement and collective begging are no virtues, but time framed engagement and binding collective bargaining under Section 65 of the constitution are certainly virtues far detached from Statutory Instrument 141 of 1997 and Apex Council romance with government.
"However, should the President's intervention ensure that teachers get a salary of US$520-US$550, we will acknowledge such herculean efforts by the President.
"As of now, there is nothing that the President has done worth thanking. All the same, we appeal for his urgent intervention to ensure that teachers receive a living wage," said Zhou.
Source - newzimbabwe
