Sunday Mail
By Itai Mazire
25 September 2011
THE Government has launched investigations into the operations and financial affairs of the country’s three main teachers’ unions following allegations of misappropriation of US$7,6 million collected from teachers in membership fees annually.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart last week confirmed the launch of the probe, saying Cabinet had set up the Professional Teachers’ Council (PTC) that would, among other things, monitor operations of teachers’ unions.
Minister Coltart said while there were laws which governed unions, it became a cause for concern when people’s hard- earned money was being abused.
The three major teacher unions at the centre of the investigations are the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta), the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ), which are collectively raking in US$640 000 every month in membership fees.
Said Minister Coltart: “Cabinet has agreed on the formation of PTC……..It is unfair for people to take away money from the already suffering teachers. Every teacher is struggling to make ends meet and that is why there should be statutory instruments that protect these professionals (teachers).†Minister Coltart said it was also illegal for unions to continue deducting money from teachers who had ceased to be their members.
“Members are not obliged to join these unions and every member has got a right to terminate their membership.
“It is illegal for someone to continue deducting money from a member without his or her consent,†he said.
Minister Coltart expressed the need for Government to provide teachers with legal education to save them from being fleeced. Zimta collects U$440 000 per month, while the TUZ and PTUZ pocket US$80 000 and US$120 000 respectively. When teachers’ salaries were increased by 50 percent recently, their monthly subscriptions went up by between 60 and 100 percent. Each Zimta member pays US$10 per month, while TUZ — which has close to 10 000 members — collects US$8 subscription fees from each member. PTUZ has around 15 000 members and collects US$8 from each member. Teachers have since accused the unions of failing to press for salaries above the poverty datum line of US$502 per month, yet they were quick to inflate subscription fees.
The teachers also accused the unions of not giving them value for their money. In the past, subscriptions were used to cover legal representation, funeral expenses and soft loans. However, these services have stopped at some of the unions. Teachers are now taking home an average of US$300 per month, though some get more through incentives paid by parents.
The union leaders are accused of granting themselves high monthly allowances without the approval of their constituents. The teacher unions’ leadership, however, insist they were still offering quality services to their members and that no money was being misused. Education Deputy Minister Cde Lazarus Dokora warned teacher unions to be professional, saying that they should stick to laws that govern their operations as organisations.