Prof. Moyo made these remarks during a discussion on the
ramifications of language instruction at Early Childhood Development (ECD) held
on This Morning on Asakhe on Wednesday, a CITE’s X space current affairs
programme.
This comes in the wake of the dismissal of former deputy
minister of higher and tertiary education, Simelisizwe Sibanda by President
Mnangagwa after ordering the transfer of a non-Ndebele speaking teacher at a
school in Matabeleland North.
Prof. Moyo noted that Sibanda regrets fueling tribal
connotations regarding teachers who cannot speak indigenous languages, as
evidenced by his apology letter.
“If we want to be objective, we should be guided by what
the former deputy minister himself said. Sibanda wrote a two-page letter,
saying he realises after being dismissed that what he said was unnecessarily
fueling tribal connotations and undertones,” Prof. Moyo stated.
“Sibanda gives the reasons why and seems to understand a
day after what happened. Probably, if he had understood earlier when the audio
started circulating, that he was fueling irrelevant and secondary issues, which
are not at the heart of the matter he says he encountered at that particular
school.”
Prof. Moyo’s comments came in response to a question from
ZAPU Secretary General Mthulisi Hanana, who asked during the discussion why
President Mnangagwa was so upset that he fired Sibanda, as the dismissal could
raise concerns about tribal deployments and Harare’s control over Matabeleland.
“Since ministers are appointed at the pleasure of the
president, from this incident what could have displeased the president leading
to the dismissal of the deputy minister?” Hanana asked.
“What attitude is displayed here because you have seen
other ministers accused of certain crimes like corruption but there’s no quick
dismissal; it takes a bit of time.”
The ZAPU SG argued that regional tensions may rise after
the deputy minister’s sacking.
“From the way the president reacted, good or bad, based on
the understanding of people of Matabeleland, how is it going to affect the
feeling and attitude of people of Matabeleland who already feel that Sibanda
was right?” Hanana said.
“Sibanda might have implemented whatever he was doing
wrongly, but he was raising a pertinent issue.”
Hanana said Sibanda’s dismissal suggested that as long as
one is from Matabeleland and voices their grievances, “Harare will always crush
you.”
“There’s also the issue, if it’s true, that there is tribal
deployment, doesn’t it embolden other tribalists that if someone speaks out, we
will be more concerned about how it’s done to the point of firing the person
and we forget about the wrong that is happening?” he asked.
In his response, Prof. Moyo said the former deputy minister
had learned a lesson and reflected on how he had handled the situation, noting
that media presentations on how Sibanda had conducted himself were unhelpful.
“When the audio started circulating, a happy media latched
onto that audio and presented it in a manner that was unhelpful. In my humble
opinion, the former deputy minister would have done himself a great service had
he instantly intervened to say, ‘That is not what happened,’ or even
dissociated himself from the audio, because the impression is him or someone
associated with him circulated it,” Prof. Moyo said.
Sibanda needed to disassociate himself from the audio as
the tribal part raised is not the primary issue in the whole situation, Prof.
Moyo stated.
“The issue is not that someone with a different surname
from the surnames that are local to Bubi is teaching ECD when they cannot
communicate in the local language. That is not the issue of the surname or so
forth. There’s the issue of competence, and if that is the issue, there’s the
issue of deployment policy. How is it being implemented in that school,
district, and so forth?” Prof. Moyo said.
“These are issues the former deputy minister, in his
letter, says in retrospect, ‘I understand I could have handled this
differently. I regret that I didn’t do it. I understand that this has resulted
in me losing my job, but I remain committed.’”
Prof. Moyo concluded by saying that to avoid further
fueling tribal connotations, people must be guided by the letter of the former
deputy minister, who provides an explanation as to why he lost his job and
regrets fueling tribal connotations. CITE
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