The Herald
2 November 2011
Zanu-PF says teachers’ incentives should be exempted from taxes to avert labour unrest from disenchanted educators.
The call comes after the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority decided to tax incentives that school development committees have been paying to teachers to cushion them from the paltry salaries they are getting from Government.
Zanu-PF’s Secretary for Education, Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, yesterday said that Zimra should not tax the incentives, as it would erode the effect of the measures.
“If we need teachers we must make sure that they stay motivated.
“We must give them tax breaks and for that reason Zimra must not tax the incentives. We are saying to Zimra there are other ways to generate revenue.
“One also needs to ask: was this agreed in Cabinet or it was the decision of the Finance Minister (Tendai Biti) to instruct Zimra to collect the taxes?”
Teachers, he said, needed to be incentivised in other ways such as loans and cars, as was the case in the past as civil servants got the facility through the CMED.
He said Government should also encourage teachers to go to rural schools by making the areas attractive through the provision of housing, transport, social amenities, electricity and solar energy.
Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart, teacher’s unions and economic analysts have condemned the Zimra decision to tax incentives.
Meanwhile, the Zanu-PF Politburo is today expected to finalise the programme for the 12th edition of the annual national people’s conference to be held in Bulawayo next month.
The conference is going to be held under the theme “Defend National Sovereignty, Consolidate Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment”.
Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity, Cde Rugare Gumbo, yesterday said the party was happy with the preparatory work done so far.
“The provisional programme is now in place and we hope it will be finalised at tomorrow’s (today) Politburo meeting,” he said.
“What I can say is everything is progressing well and we are only left with a few touch ups since we are now only three weeks away from the conference. We are now dealing with transport logistics and we hope that by the time we go to the conference everything will be in place.”
Cde Gumbo said various committees tasked to do the conference logistics would be travelling to Bulawayo next week to arrange accommodation for the delegates.
“We will be travelling to Bulawayo on the 11th of November to inspect accommodation hostels. We once visited the venue of the conference – the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and we are quite happy with it.”
The conference is expected to attract 6 000 delegates.
Last week the Zanu-PF fund raising committee launched a fundraising campaign where each province is expected to raise US$150 000.
Last year the conference was held in Mutare where the party resolved to forge ahead with the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme that seeks to address colonial economic imbalances.
The party also endorsed the candidature of President Mugabe for general elections that were supposed to be held this year.
The elections were deferred to next year after Copac failed to complete writing the constitution.
Parties in the inclusive Government agreed under the Global Political Agreement that elections would only be held after a new constitution is in place.