His 34 lessons
a week have been redistributed among other teachers who are not only frustrated
but demoralised by the huge workloads and the special treatment that Masomere
gets.
Masomere who is
now untouchable, is still on Government payroll although Public Service
normally ceases a teacher’s salary after a few days’ absence. A teacher is
retired from civil service on medical grounds after 90 days of absence.
Ministry of
Primary and Secondary Education Spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro however said the
allegations that Masomere is not coming to work are not true. He said he had
been told by the Provincial Education Director (PED), Shylatte Mhike that
Masomere is teaching every day.
Ironically as
Ndoro spoke, Masomere was not at school. He was part of an advance team for
President Mnangagwa’s Culture Month Launch in Chiredzi.
Mhike told
Masvingo Mirror that she tasked the District Schools Inspector (DSI), Ishmael
Chigaba to verify the matter and he found out that Masomere signed a work
register every day.
Masomere
switched off his mobile phone went contacted for a comment by Masvingo Mirror.
Masvingo Mirror
observed that on Tuesday, Masomere who was driving his unregistered Toyota
Hilux Double Cab arrived at Ndarama High at 9.40am. School lessons start at
7:30am. He was met by the head in the car park. From the Car Park he went to
the administration block for a few minutes and then went and sat in the sun
with another teacher. After about 20 minutes he left the school premises and
headed for Chiredzi.
He was in
Chiredzi from Tuesday and on Thursday he was on ZTV at Mnangagwa’s function.
Masvingo Mirror
investigations established that he has not been to Ndarama since the opening of
the second term. Each time reporters called and asked to meet him, he would say
that he was in Harare.
Teachers and
other staff at the school who spoke on condition of anonymity said Masomere
only comes to Ndarama when he has a contract to provide entertainment during
civics and he will be in the company of musicians from Harare.
Sources said
Masomere stopped coming to work during the 2023 elections campaign.
“The Ministry
is not telling the truth if it says Masomere is coming to work. Teachers are
required to sign daily attendance registers every morning and if Ndoro is
honest let him produce the attendance register for Ndarama High. Masomere has
not signed for a long time now and if there are signatures then there is a
crime being committed somewhere,” said a teacher who declined to be named.
The Mirror has
also established that most of the time Masomere is found at the Minister of
State for Masvingo, Ezra Chadzamira’s office at Benjamin Burombo or he is a
hanger-on at State functions. He was spotted last week driving a top Provincial
Education Officer’s official vehicle last week.
Amalgamated
Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) president Obert Masaraure said
Masomere’s case is that of a ghost worker on Government’s payroll. Masaraure
added that Matongo should be held accountable.
“The country
won’t be built by slogans but by people who actually work. We have seen
incapacitated teachers being dismissed from work when they have genuine
reasons. The Public Service Commission (PSC) should look into this matter and
the school head should be held accountable,” said Masaraure.
A labour law
expert who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Masomere should have been
removed from Government payroll long back. The expert added that Government
only enforced its laws on opposition members. Masvingo Mirror
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