Teachers forced to bankroll ZPF congress

Masvingo, October 29, 2009 – There is an outcry here as teachers in various rural schools are reportedly being forced to pay money to the Zanu PF local leadership under unclear circumstances, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou has said.

He told Radio VOP on Thursday that hundreds of his members had reported to his office that headmasters had been instructed by the Zanu PF leadership to demand US$ 1 or R10 from each teacher. The teachers were told that the money will be used to help Zanu PF members who want to go to the party’s national congress in Harare in December.

“We are very worried because teachers are being abused by Zanu PF hooligans again. Teachers are always victims of political instability. A lot of our members have come to our provincial offices to complain, they have no option besides to look for that money and donate in protest but it is really painful and worrying,” he said.

Zhou said he had received reports from areas such as Gutu, Zaka, Mwenezi, Bikita, Mberengwa and Zvishavane.

“We are strongly against such behaviour. We want teachers to be respected in their societies; we want teachers to have a normal and stable life. We urge Zanu PF to stop victimising teachers, ” he said. Any party which  wants to govern this country must not harass teachers at all,.”

A top Zanu PF provincial executive disclosed that there were some overzealous individuals who were abusing their  powers through victimising innocent teachers.

“This is the problem of lawlessness in the country. As Zanu PF, there is no agreement or policy to  victimise teachers or to demand anything from them,” said the source.

However, Masvingo provincial party chairman Lovemore Matuke said teachers who have been victimised must report the cases to the police.

“If what you are saying is true, why do they fail to report the case to the police? I do not know what you are saying; we do not victimise our teachers. There are some wayward teachers who have a tendency of telling lies and blowing everything out of proportion,” said Matuke. Source Radio VOP