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Police
bars PTUZ from commemorating World Teachers' Day
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition
October 04, 2007
On World Teachers'
Day, we celebrate teachers across continents, in all countries,
in towns and in villages, and thank them for their continued efforts
often in difficult circumstances. In acknowledging the vital role
they play, we reaffirm the need to continue to work together to
better understand the issues and ensure that we are equipped to
make the right choices so that teachers are recruited, trained,
and supported in ways that lead to a motivated, effective teaching
force, able to contribute to our shared goal of achieving quality
education for all children.
- Education International President, Thulas Nxesi
Police in the
city of Bulawayo have warned the Progressive
Teacher's Union against going ahead with its commemorations
of the World Teacher's Day, a day which was set aside by the
United Nations in recognition of the pivotal roles played by teachers
in the world. The Officer Commanding Bulawayo District, Chief Superintendent
Wasara communicated to the PTUZ offices in Bulawayo citing flimsy
excuses why the police are blocking the teachers from joining the
rest of the world in celebrating their day.
Chief among
the reasons cited is that the organization has communicated to its
members to remain on the current job action till the teachers'
grievances are addressed. He argued that the teachers' union
is bent on tarnishing the image of the country; hence the police
will foil the activities of the organization tomorrow.
However, the
PTUZ has filed an urgent court application with the High Court arguing
that the police has no jurisdiction to block their meeting. The
case will be heard in the High Court tomorrow at 12 noon.
More so PTUZ
will file a formal complaint to Education International against
the state interference in the activities of the teacher's
union. The PTUZ is an affiliate of the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions which is also an affiliate of ILO.
Under the ILO, governments are not allowed to interfere with labour
organization activities.
Irrespective
of the threats from the police, the teachers' union has vowed
that it will go ahead with the planned action on Saturday rather
than tomorrow. The Secretary General Ray Majongwe argued that they
will not be stopped from celebrating their day because of a paranoid
police force. Majongwe outlined that the ruling party has never
notified the police of its activities such as celebrating the hero's
day but the police have not interfered with their activities.
The Zimbabwean
government and police do not seem to appreciate the difficult conditions
which the teachers are operating under. The majority the teachers
are living a paupers life far below the Poverty Datum Line (PDL)
irrespective of the commitment they have always exhibited towards
their duties.
As in the words
of Nxesi, teachers are working under difficult circumstances, the
least the state can do is to allow them to join their counterparts
in the world to celebrate their profession, if they value their
contribution towards national development.
Visit the Crisis
in Zimbabwe fact
sheet
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