The Herald
Herald Reporter
26 June 2009
A group of over 70 teachers marched in Harare on Wednesday and presented a petition to Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart, demanding an urgent address of their working conditions and salary as agreed at a June 10 meeting.
The petition was served on Minister Coltart outside his offices by the teachers who were under police escort.
In the document with a letterhead of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, the teachers said the march was a follow-up to the June 10 meeting between the Government and the teachers’ representatives.
They demanded that the ministry officially state and send a circular exempting teachers’ children from paying fees in public schools as well as announcing a percentage of the levy payable to teachers as incentives.
“We demand, in the earliest possible time, that the circular as agreed at our most recent meeting with you (June 10 2009) restating our original positions regarding ‘amnesty’ conditions, exemption of teachers’ children from paying fees in public schools, levy percentage payable to teachers as incentives be availed to us and ministry structures forthwith to avoid confusion.
“You should address the issue of teachers’ salaries first before the education sector sinks into doldrums,” read part of the petition.
After receiving the petition, Minister Coltart said the concerns of the teachers were genuine before he undertook to ensure they would be urgently addressed.
In an interview, Minister Coltart said he had understood the teachers’ concerns and that he was working towards addressing them.
“The teachers have brought a petition to me regarding issues raised by trade unionists in our last meeting. I told them that I took their concerns to heart and I will do what ever I could to address them at an earliest possible time.
“We are working hard to improve the teachers’ conditions of service,” said Minister Coltart.
Speaking on the sidelines of the minister’s address, PTUZ secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe said there was nothing political about the march, adding that it was just a follow-up to earlier agreements.