'Political' teachers told to resign

THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has ordered all teachers who successfully submitted their names to the Nomination Court for election into political office to immediately resign.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango, said this was in line with a Constitutional provision that civil servants must not be office-bearers in any political party.

The provision says no government employee must contest for political office or assume any position in a political party before resigning from the civil service as that is unconstitutional.

An unconfirmed number of civil servants submitted their CVs during the primary elections without first resigning from their jobs.
Some of them succeeded and their names went through the Nomination Court.

Speaking at the close of the National Association of Secondary Heads annual conference in Victoria Falls recently, Dr Utete-Masango said there is a huge number of teachers who are seeking election into local authorities and Parliament in the upcoming harmonised election.

She said her office is preparing a database of those contesting per province.

"Some of your colleagues have already gone through the Nomination Court. According to the Public Service Commission (PSC), once your name has gone through the Nomination Court you have resigned. Therefore, as far as government is concerned, you are no longer a civil servant," said Dr Utete-Masango.

With reference to outgoing Nash president Mr Johnson Madhuku who is challenging the Bikita East seat on a Zanu-PF ticket,
Dr Utete-Masango said Mr Madhuku is not the only teacher who has ventured into politics.

"I have a database by province for those that have gone in as councillors and MPs. There is quite a number of colleagues that actually succeeded at the Nomination Court. And we want to wish them well so that they succeed in their new journey.

"But what I am saying is if you are Councillor, MP or Senator, you are no longer a civil servant. So those that haven't submitted their names to the ministry should do so such that the ministry does the rest of the process with the PSC," she added.

Mr Madhuku also bid farewell to Nash.

"A lot of you colleagues have been wishing me well and that's a great inspiration for me to have determination and take the bull by the horns. If I fall, I don't fall alone because we are together in this. My wish is that as you remain, you continue with the fight on the education curriculum because failure is not an option," he said.

A number of civil servants are contesting in some seats around the country.

Some failed to make it through after submitting their CVs for primaries.