HARARE - The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said its members were attacked by Zanu (PF) youth militias who wanted them to join the just-ended strike by teachers.PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou told The Zimbabwean that marauding Zanu
(PF) youths beat up members of the association in Gutu, Murewa and Gweru districts who were boycotting the strike called by the rival Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA).
“In a move that shows that the strike was sponsored by Zanu (PF), the youth militias have been terrorizing our members and in some cases beating them up in order to force them to join the strike,” Zhou said this week.
Observers say the job action by the usually docile ZIMTA was at the instigation of the former ruling party which wanted to “erode the gains”
made by the Movement for Democratic Change of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
The MDC joined Zanu (PF) in a coalition government formed in February and has so far managed to stabilize the economy and bring sanity to the education and health sectors which had almost collapsed last year.
ZIMTA called off the strike early this week, citing positive negotiations with the Ministry of Education.
The usually militant PTUZ did not participate in the job action, insisting on the need to give the government more time to look for resources.
Post published in: Politics