Cracks in Apex Council

workers – amid calls for the immediate resignation of its chairperson Ms Tendai Chikowore who is accused of outliving her mandate.
While the Zimbabwe Teachers Union has dismissed the claims, another teachers’ union said Ms Chikowore was not the Apex leader anymore.
The latest stand-off could however, destabilise the council’s efforts to engage Government over civil servants’ salaries.
The Teachers Union of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Manuel Nyawu yesterday said Ms Chikowore should urgently resign.
“As TUZ we are saying the Apex Council has no leadership in the form of the chairperson, whom we feel very strongly that she has outlived her term of office,” he said.
Ms Chikowore’s term as Apex Council chairperson ended in 2008.
“If we are really advocates of democracy, we naturally have to accept that democracy entails changing of leadership.
“The current chair continues to masquerade as such and we urge her to admit that she has outlived her term and resign,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from Ms Chikowore were fruitless yesterday.
Zimta, where Ms Chikowore is the president, hit back saying those calling for her resignation were newcomers.
“Mafikizolos are a problem. They came in 2010 and they want to reconfigure the Apex Council, to recreate it.
“They are secretly conniving and are creating a marriage of convenience.
“They are forgetting that they are dealing with Zimta, which is three times bigger than their combined strength,” Zimta chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said.
Zimta boasts of 44 000 members while the TUZ and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe’s combined membership is believed to be below 20 000.
Mr Ndlovu said Zimta was not going to allow dictatorship by the minority.
The Public Service Association confirmed Ms Chikowore’s term ended in 2008.
“It is true Ms Chikowore’s term ended in 2008 but in the absence of anyone she is the incumbent.
“Squabbles are common in unions but we have to re-organise that,” PSA executive secretary Mr Emmanuel Tichareva said.
Divisions within the Apex Council come as civil servants are bargaining for an increase in their salaries.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti is, however, on record saying treasury has no mo- ney.
This is despite evidence that Treasury has received money from the sale of the Chiadzwa diamonds.