Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
THE country’s largest teachers’ representative body, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) faces an imminent implosion following growing unrest among its members who accuse the national executive committee led by Mr Richard Gundane of making unilateral decisions to take over and nationalise provincially-run schemes and properties without consulting membership.
Mr Gundane and his executive committee are also accused of trying to covertly extend the association’s chief executive officer, Mr Sifiso Ndlovu’s term of office, which the members say officially ended on May 31, 2022, having been appointed into that position in 2010.
The executive committee allegedly wanted to do this through amendment of the Zimta workers’ conditions of service.
Members fear Mr Ndlovu could still be a signatory to the association’s bank accounts, with access to its funds and could be in a position to unduly continue entering or influencing binding contracts on behalf of the association.
Zimta has not held its conference since 2019 citing Covid-19 containment measures as well as financial incapacitation.
The grumbling by the generality of the Zimta members has led to two petitions being written, submitted, and ignored by the national executive committee; the first one demanding accountability on various association scheme funds, which allegedly disappeared under the present national executive.
Mr Gundane was elected as Zimta president in April 2013, taking over from Mrs Tendai Chikowore who had been in office for nine years.
Some of the scheme funds that were reportedly nationalised without members’ consent include the Bereavement Fund.
Members allege there are attempts to take over the Matabeleland North headquarters building still under construction along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls near Amakhosi Filling Station and Ehlekwini Vocational Training Centre just outside Bulawayo along Plumtree Road.
The fight to stop the nationalisation of provincial scheme funds and properties has seen members filing papers with the courts and now await a court date, according to a communiqué sent to members on Wednesday.
“As you all know, fellow members, at the moment we have written two petitions, which were successfully signed by members and submitted to the national executive committee.
“The first petition was demanding accountability of various scheme funds, which disappeared in the hands of the current Zimta national executive committee.
When all is said and done, it was blocking the national executive committee’s unilateral decision to take over all provincially formed and run schemes under the banner of nationalisation and regularisation of schemes without consent of provincial membership,” reads part of the communiqué seen by Chronicle.
“The national executive committee ignored our petition and decided to continue with its plans and has forcefully taken over all provincial schemes with the assistance of provincial chairpersons, who are also part of the committee, who individually agreed to the plan without the involvement or consent of provincial membership.
“This led to the court case, which is yet to be given a date of hearing, filed by two Zimta and also provincial executive members who displayed their bravery and willingness to save our beloved association.”
The second petition was to stop the executive committee from extending Mr Ndlovu’s term of office.
“The national executive committee, through the acting secretary-general (Mr Goodwill Taderera), acknowledged receipt of the petition and promised to action and do as advised.
“We were expecting to receive some form of communication notifying members of the retirement of Ndlovu, who retired on the 31st of May 2022, but up to now the executive is quiet,” reads the petition.
“It seems they have decided to remain quiet while implementing unilaterally made decisions.
Currently, Sifiso Ndlovu is not a Zimta employee but a retiree according to the best of our knowledge.”
Contacted for comment Mr Taderera said the extension of Mr Ndlovu’s term of office was in line with the Government’s conditions of service since he, like all senior secretariat members, was employed coming from the education sector.
“All senior secretariat members were employed coming from the education sector and therefore by extension of their conditions of service, we were responding to the Government conditions of service.
So, it’s not about the CEO but all Zimta employees,” said Mr Taderera.
He was, however, coy on holding of the elective conference, saying it was all dependent on the availability of resources.
“The capacity to host conference lies in first having a branch, district provincial and finally national conference, an exercise that requires money.
“Our economic situation generally as a country and in particular as an organisation has hampered the timely holding of meetings at all levels and finally the conference,” he said.
Mr Ndlovu could not be reached for comment. At its peak, Zimta had over 43 000 members.
Online Reporter