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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Strikes and Protests 2007/8 - Teachers and Lecturers
Majongwe
threatened with death as police urge teachers to strike
Henry Makiwa, SW Radio Africa
September 28, 2007
Visit
the index of articles on the teachers' strikes
http://www.swradioafrica.com/news280907/Majongwe280907.htm
The leader
of a combative teachers union, Raymond Majongwe, alleges that Zimbabwe's
feared secret police have threatened him with death for calling
a teachers strike that has crippled the country's education system.
Majongwe who
heads the Progressive
Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), says he has received "uninvited
guests" at his family home and telephone calls from "strange
characters" since he called for teachers to go on a job action
in protest at poor salaries. On Thursday night Majongwe alleges
that he received a phone call from a male voice on a mobile number
0912 855 042, warning him that "death was staring him in the
face." He says after cutting off his phone, he then received
a mobile text that read: "You are stupid, and you will soon
get into hot soup."
Majongwe said:
"My wife and children have been receiving threats for so long
now but the one on my life on Thursday night was the most patent
one. We however refuse to be intimidated because we know who our
assailants are and they cannot defy our justified cause."
He went on to
say that "the strike, now in its third week, continues and
we know the entire civil service force is behind us because they
know that if we succeed, they also get a redress of their salaries
from government."
On Thursday,
sections of the police in Masvingo reportedly visited Rujeko and
Victoria primary schools where a scattering of teachers were holding
classes, and ordered them to send the children home and quit duties
"like all the others across the country."
According to
sources, the members of the police force who visited the two schools
and told the teachers that they should go on strike and force the
government to address not only the pay plight of teachers, but of
all civil servants. The police and soldiers and other security forces
are not allowed to strike under the country's security codes.
Elsewhere, parents
and teachers associations at government schools in Zaka, Mhondoro
and Chinhoyi have reportedly threatened to evict teachers out of
school residences if they proceed with the strike.
Majongwe described
the development as "regrettable" emphasising that the
teachers sympathised with the parents but desperately needed their
salaries re-dressed.
Some teachers
in Zimbabwe are earning as little as Z$2 million, less than 3 pounds
sterling on the black market. A fortnight ago, teachers spurned
a 100 percent salary increment from government, demanding instead
a Z$15 million basic salary plus a Z$5,2 million housing allowance
and Z$4 million transport recompense.
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