Online Reporter
The Herald, 7 August 1984
TRADE unions should accumulate funds to buy properties for the future benefit of workers, the Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications, Cde Nathan Shamuyarira, said yesterday.
Opening a Posts and Telecommunications Union seminar in Harare, Cde Shamuyarira said: “We want unions to thrive and prosper and accumulate funds to invest in property which is one important aspect of where the socialism means of production are owned by the workers and co-operatives.”
The minister praised the PTC union for being non-racial and urged its leadership to be responsible and make the workers feel represented. Cde Shamuyarira noted that the PTCU was organising worker education seminars throughout the country, implementing a resolution passed last year. He encouraged the organisation to teach its members socialism.
“Political education is an important aspect through which the workers get the right orientation in ethics of the union and ethics of the society in general.” However, the minister expressed his disappointment at what he termed a lack of political education and national consciousness” among some telephone operators who were rude to subscribers, adding that they tarnished the image of the country when dealing with visitors to Zimbabwe.
The Government would like to see a higher level of discipline among the PTC workers, he said, and appealed to them not to drink during working hours.
The president of the PTCU, Cde Lovemore Matombo, told the seminar that unionism which lacked an ideology prevented a clear understanding of events.
Workers had to be informed of their role in creating socialism, and that understanding would follow thorough a grounding in the politics and economics of Zimbabwe.
“If socialism is to succeed, it is dependent on the ideological consciousness of the workers,” he said, adding that trade unions should educate their members along the Marxist-Leninist lines.
Lessons for today:
- The article provides interesting lessons about worker empowerment, financial planning, professionalism, education, and leadership. While some of the political ideas reflect the thinking of the time, many of the underlying principles are still relevant today.
- The minister encouraged trade unions to invest in property and other assets for the long-term benefit of workers. The union leadership was urged to be responsible and ensure workers felt represented.
- A central theme of the article is that workers should be organised and actively involved in shaping their future. Buying property was presented as a way to secure future benefits for workers.
- One of the most striking aspects of the article is its emphasis on asset ownership. Many organizations, pension funds, and cooperatives that acquired property decades ago have seen those investments appreciate significantly over time. The fundamental message remains relevant: economic empowerment is stronger when people own productive assets rather than relying solely on monthly income.
- The key lesson from this story is that workers and their organisations should focus on building long-term wealth, promoting education, maintaining professionalism, and exercising responsible leadership. While the political language reflects the era in which it was written, the broader principles of investment, discipline, representation, and empowerment remain valuable lessons today.
