By Melisa Javangwe
Schools will open for the Second Term on 8 May 2023, despite a cholera outbreak in most provinces, government had said.
Speaking at a post cabinet media briefing in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said that government is ready for the smooth flow of schools opening and surveillance was being conducted to ensure that all safety and health related issues for learners were attended to.
“Cabinet received an update from the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Honourable Dr. E. Ndlovu as the opening of the Second Term of 2023 approaches.
Cabinet wishes to assure the nation that the Ministry is ready for the task of ensuring the smooth opening of schools. Surveillance is being conducted in order to ensure that all health issues pertaining to schools and the safety of learners are attended to as part of the preparations,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
According to government, as of 29 April 2023, the cumulative suspected cholera cases were 588, with 550 recoveries and 4 deaths.
Matabeleland South and Manicaland Provinces continue to contribute the highest number of suspected cases to date, with 195 cases (33.2%) and 161 cases (27.4%), respectively.
Harare has recorded 21 suspected cases.
Meanwhile, teachers have threatened to boycott schools opening if government does not improve their salaries.
Teachers are demanding a minimum of US$1 260. They are currently earning US$250 and between $160 000 and $200 000 in the local currency.
In a letter written by Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) secretary-general Robson Chere directed to the Primary and Secondary Education ministry, the teachers reminded government that their incapacitation remained unaddressed and would be an obstacle to the smooth opening of schools and efficient discharge of duties by teachers.
“It is a fact that the monthly salaries for teachers are not sufficient and teachers are living in abject poverty,” the letter read.
“As ARTUZ, we have engaged our members across the country and weighed in full support of the call by the rank and file of teachers under the banner of Teachers4USD, in demanding a salary of US$1 260. We, therefore, advise you to treat the salary increment of teachers as a matter of urgency.”
However, last week, Minister Paul Mavima said the National Joint Negotiation Consultative meeting was concluded more than a week ago and there was no crisis at all.
“There was no crisis as a result of that meeting. Workers’ representatives acknowledged those pegged salaries which are already being paid,” he said.
Last year the government threatened to invoke the “no-work, no-pay” policy for teachers who were planning to absent themselves when schools opened for the 2022 second term.
Public Service Minister Prof Paul Mavima said:
“That’s not acceptable, we can’t have a situation whereby each time we are about to open schools, teachers say they want to go on strike. It doesn’t work like that.
There is a whole architecture of negotiations with the Public Service Commission and their federation, which meets Government to discuss conditions of service for civil servants.
So it’s not acceptable for teachers to hold the nation at ransom each time we open schools.”
