News / National
Teachers hail Mnangagwa
17 Jun 2018 at 05:47hrs | Views
TEACHERS have joined the chorus in praising the new political dispensation led by President Mnangagwa for creating a free environment that allows citizens freedom of expression without inhibition.
Opposition political parties under the MDC Alliance banner recently praised President Mnangagwa's administration for creating a free environment for political activity. The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), in a statement, acknowledged that the new dispensation had brought about positive changes in the country. This was after the union, one of the largest in the country, was granted police escort for their procession during the official opening of their Bulawayo offices recently. PTUZ, a member of the recently formed Federation of Zimbabwe Educators' Unions (Fozeu), is one of the largest teachers union with over 15 000 members countrywide.
"Cdes, what happened in Bulawayo was quite phenomenal and historic. Even the police escorted PTUZ procession march from the City Hall up to 27A Connaught Avenue and Lobengula Street, the permanent home of PTUZ province. This is one good thing about this New Dispensation. In the past, this was unheard of. Now the police can give a PTUZ function an escort, how things change," reads the statement to members.
PTUZ said the previous regime led by former President Mr Robert Mugabe would not have allowed them to carry out their procession as it was bent on prosecuting the union's leaders on trumped up charges.
The union added teachers under Fozeu would want dialogue with the President to discuss their welfare, encourage its members not to fear President Mnangagwa as he was a people's President.
"There is no need for us to be afraid of the President. He is our President too as PTUZ and we must be free to meet him both as workers and citizens of this country," the union said.
The union said as teachers they had sector specific issues which they wanted to discuss with the President with the aim of restoring the status of teachers as well as putting the country's education sector "back on track".
"We hope that the door will be made available to us like anyone else by this New Dispensation," the union said.
The Government has agreed to a 17 percent pay hike for civil servants, with effect from 1 July, the first increase for Government workers in years.
Opposition political parties under the MDC Alliance banner recently praised President Mnangagwa's administration for creating a free environment for political activity. The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), in a statement, acknowledged that the new dispensation had brought about positive changes in the country. This was after the union, one of the largest in the country, was granted police escort for their procession during the official opening of their Bulawayo offices recently. PTUZ, a member of the recently formed Federation of Zimbabwe Educators' Unions (Fozeu), is one of the largest teachers union with over 15 000 members countrywide.
"Cdes, what happened in Bulawayo was quite phenomenal and historic. Even the police escorted PTUZ procession march from the City Hall up to 27A Connaught Avenue and Lobengula Street, the permanent home of PTUZ province. This is one good thing about this New Dispensation. In the past, this was unheard of. Now the police can give a PTUZ function an escort, how things change," reads the statement to members.
PTUZ said the previous regime led by former President Mr Robert Mugabe would not have allowed them to carry out their procession as it was bent on prosecuting the union's leaders on trumped up charges.
"There is no need for us to be afraid of the President. He is our President too as PTUZ and we must be free to meet him both as workers and citizens of this country," the union said.
The union said as teachers they had sector specific issues which they wanted to discuss with the President with the aim of restoring the status of teachers as well as putting the country's education sector "back on track".
"We hope that the door will be made available to us like anyone else by this New Dispensation," the union said.
The Government has agreed to a 17 percent pay hike for civil servants, with effect from 1 July, the first increase for Government workers in years.
Source - zimpapers
