Zimbabwean
6 August 2011
By Jane Makoni
Teachers are being forced to transfer to at an unregistered Zanu (PF) school established as a campaign success story by Uzumba MP Simbaneuta Mudarikwa.
The makeshift Nyashunjwa Primary School, with classes built only up to window level, is situated in Mashambanhaka Village. Mudarikwa has instructed district education officials to transfer teachers to the school without consulting ministry of education provincial staffing officials in Marondera.
“As a government ministry we are naturally disturbed to learn that a Zanu (PF) MP was behaving like a ministry of education staffing officer,†said a district education official who asked for anonymity.
“We understand he haphazardly established a make-shift school in order to buy votes in the coming election campaign. He reportedly threatened the district education officer into transferring teachers to his bush school.
His conduct is both barbaric and unacceptable. It is unfortunate that some partisan headmasters were working in cahoots with Mudarikwa to frustrate rural school teachers. Most targeted were female teachers at Mashambanhaka Primary School,†he said.
Mudarikwa’s actions have been reported to the provincial education officer, who promised to deal with the issue professionally and without fear.
He instructed the district education officer to put everything in writing – but the education officer would not do it because he was terrified of reprisals from the Mudarikwa and Zanu (PF).
“He said it he had resisted their demands his life would be in real danger,†said a provincial education official, who insisted on anonymity, given the sensitivity of the issue.
Villagers in Uzumba described Mudarikwa’s behaviour as the beginning of a terror campaign against teachers ahead of elections. They called on the Minister of Education, David Coltart and other caring legislators to rein in Zanu (PF) and the MP.