Teachers’ unions yesterday said the indoctrination sessions
were taking place in different parts of the country.
Zanu PF information director Tafadzwa Mugwadi told NewsDay
that there was nothing untoward about the “induction” meetings. He said Zanu PF drew its membership from all
professions.
“There is nothing amiss with Zanu PF engaging the school
heads, if ever there was such a meeting in Mutasa. In any case, the membership
of the party cuts across headmasters, the nursing profession and other civil
servants,” Mugwadi said.
It is alleged that the Mutasa Zanu PF induction training
was held on Saturday and Sunday, and was facilitated by party provincial
officials, members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association
(ZNLWVA), and army personnel.
ZNLWVA spokesperson Douglas Mahiya declined to comment on
the issue.
The training programme came hardly two months after the
Zanu PF Bulawayo province recommended that all civil servants compulsorily
attend the ruling party’s Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology drills.
National Association of School Heads (NASH)
secretary-general Munyaradzi Majoni said: “It’s unfortunate that with regards
the said meetings, I am not privileged to be aware of such meetings but we
cannot rule out the possibility.
“As far as I am concerned, our members have not been
invited through us (NASH) to attend the meetings.”
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz)
president Obert Masaraure said the Zanu PF induction drills were illegal.
“These trainings are ongoing nationwide. The Constitution
of the Republic proscribes civil servants from engaging in partisan
business. Our ruling party is once again
wantonly violating the Constitution it is expected to uphold,” Masaraure said.
“Learners are being denied full access to education as
school heads are leaving schools unattended. Zanu PF should be ashamed of
itself; the preoccupation with power retention by any means necessary is
pathetic.”
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president
Takavafira Zhou said the Zanu PF indoctrination lessons were not happening in
Mutasa only.
“It is unfortunate that we are witnessing the
“party-nisation” of government institutions, particularly the Ministry of
Education. The reality is that there is a militarisation of the Education
ministry with the whole essence of ensuring that personnel within the ministry
are Zanu-nised.”
Mutasa Central MDC Alliance legislator Trevor Saruwaka
confirmed that the induction meetings took place in his constituency.
“This is a violation of sections 200 and 208 of the
Constitution,” Saruwaka said.
The provisions bar civil servants from engaging in party
politics and furthering the interests or cause of any particular party.
“It is these unconstitutional acts that have taken Zimbabwe
where it is today. Lawlessness by the ruling party and its institutions
especially the security sector have cemented our status as a pariah State,”
Saruwaka said. Newsday
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