Sundaymail Editor
Malven Mugadzikwa
The Educators Union of Zimbabwe (EUZ) is reeling under a wave of serious allegations ranging from financial mismanagement and procedural violations to internal power struggles and disregard for basic governance principles.
Officials within the union have come forward with claims that paint a picture of an organisation marred by unchecked spending, lack of procurement and financial policy, abuse of office and retaliation against dissenting voices.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, the union’s provincial chairperson for Masvingo Province, Patience Hunyenyiwa said:
“There is no financial committee, no procurement policy. They buy things without consultation, and as it stands now, we don’t even know how many cars the union owns, how they were bought, or who procured them,” she said.
Despite overseeing funds from over 6 000 subscribing teachers, estimated at nearly US$48 000 per month, the union has no clear structure for monitoring expenses.
Union leaders have also come under fire for mismanaging internal grievances and disputes.
“We were suspended for raising concerns about unfair treatment, unequal resource allocation and being expected to conduct recruitment drives with inadequate funding,” said Mashonaland Central chairperson Jonathan Kajohwe.
“We responded professionally to their demands, but we were mocked and suspended. We’re told to walk long distances for recruitment with just US$200, while leadership in urban areas enjoys full access to vehicles and other resources.”
Efforts to restart a due process on suspensions, he said, were stonewalled and later dismissed.
One executive member who commented on conditions of anonymity said:
“The secretary general, was gifted a new car after claiming his previous BMW he used for union business was now old. However, he failed to return the former vehicle,” he said.
“The Union purchased a Ford Ranger for the president as a wedding gift without following procurement procedures or consulting the executive.
“The secretary general actually showed us the pictures of the vehicle and confirmed that the vehicle was on its way as it was already purchased.”
The executive member further highlighted that funds deducted from teachers were sometimes not refunded after errors such as double deductions, and when members queried, they were either ignored or removed from the union in retaliation.
The source revealed that the president and secretary general had been unilaterally making decisions, including suspending provincial chairpersons without following due process.
“They started suspending PCs unlawfully after they had complained about incapacitation,” said the executive member.
The union is also under fire for failing to deliver on a promise to secure residential stands for teachers in Gokwe.
“Teachers have been contributing US$75 per month and some have reached up to US$2 000 in contributions, yet no stands have been allocated so far and there has been no communication from the union.
“When members ask for updates, they are met with hostility from the president instead of transparency,” said one member who identified herself as Patience.
The union’s secretary general Mr Tapera Zhou denied some of the allegations, but admitted their organisation had some serious leadership squabbles and lacked governance principles.
On buying a Ford Ranger vehicle as a wedding gift, Mr Zhou said:
“Of course, prior to the president’s wedding I personally produced the pictures of the vehicle and I indicated to members in a WhatsApp group that the car was on its way, only that it had been delayed,” he said.
“On the Gokwe stands, we are waiting for the Gokwe council to provide us with land, although we still have a small number of about seven teachers who made the contributions and we will communicate and update them once land is available.”
While strongly denying embezzlement of funds, Mr Zhou acknowledged significant gaps in the union’s administrative structures.
“When we started in 2021 we didn’t have proper structures. We had no disciplinary committee, no financial policy, and not even a code of conduct,” he said.
Only last year did the union manage to hire an administrator, and they are “currently working on the financial and procurement policies.”
He revealed that the union did not have a financial committee in place and that all financial withdrawals were managed centrally by himself, the treasurer and the president.
“Because the president is in Bulawayo, I usually sign most of the documents as the SG. The organisation’s purse is in my hands,” he said.
He further acknowledged that there was leadership turmoil within their organisation.
Mr Zhou confirmed that the union’s former vice president Ms Molly Banda had convened unsanctioned meetings with other officials to unseat the union’s leadership.
“She held a virtual meeting on March 3 this year and a physical one on March 7 without notifying either myself or the president,” he said.
“The group claimed to have dismissed us and tried to change bank signatories, but the bank refused.”
Online Reporter