Chronicle Editor
Stanford Chiwanga
Teachers must get down to business and opt for salary negotiations with the Government instead of striking, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Zimbabwe Mr Innocent Ndibali said on Monday.
Teachers threatened not to resume work for the second term in the event their demands for better working conditions are not met by the Government.
Teachers are demanding that Government pay them US$550 or its equivalent in local currency.
Mr Ndibali said the Government has shown a deep concern for the welfare of teachers by faithfully paying them their salaries despite them not being able to work due to numerous Covid-19 lockdowns.
“We would like to urge teachers not to be used by some detractors. Teachers have been getting their monthly pay despite that schools were closed. The Government committed itself and kept paying them despite that they were not working for a long time.
“We believe it is unfair to embark on the strike while we are just opening schools. They should address their grievances properly than to be used by other politicians. They should put the future of pupils forward than everything. If Government tolerated them and gave them pay all along, why should they be used?” said Mr Ndibali.
Meanwhile, EFF Zimbabwe backs Zimbabwe’s re-engagement efforts and is pleased that President Mnangagwa will be visiting the United Kingdom in November.
No Zimbabwean President has travelled to the UK and a number of European Union (EU) countries in years after the West imposed travel restrictions against senior government leaders.
“We as EFF Zimbabwe, are supporting and wishing well to President Mnangagwa for his impending trip to UK. We are certain that this trip is not a personal trip, but in the interest of our people countrywide.
“We are backing the President in this trip and we want to urge him to show the reality to the world that our country is portrayed wrongly and suffering sanctions unnecessary.
“We want him to personally show the UK how Zimbabwe is willing to partner with UK in development and alliances.
The uncalled for and unnecessary hostilities must be pushed aside and focus on the best interests for our people. We have been following a very correct path as a country in the international community re-engagement process.
“So this trip is a very correct cornerstone for our country and people. We also call upon all Zimbabweans with people at heart and country at heart to submit positive points to the President so that he engages UK from a people-driven perspective and show them how the unnecessary sanctions are destroying lives and families at a grassroot level,” said Mr Ndibali.
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