Divisions hamper teachers’ negotiations

The Apex Council has been rocked by leadership wrangles following elections held in August this year that saw the College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe President, David Dzatsunga, being elected to the post of Chairperson.

The Public Service Association boycotted the elections saying they were unconstitutional and has refused to endorse the Apex Council leadership. There are allegations among teacher unions loyal to the current Apex Council leadership that the PSA, a member of the council itself, is running a parallel structure.

Put house in order

In October this year, the Acting Secretary for the Ministry of Public Service, Rodgers Sisimayi, wrote to civil servants urging them to put their house in order first before they engage the government. The Zimbabwe Teachers Association said that the Apex Council board needed to be reconstituted before it negotiates salary increments.

Their counterparts, the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, said it was necessary to take a head on approach.

ZIMTA Chief Executive Officer, Sifiso Ndlovu, said efforts to engage the government without addressing the issue of “the contested leadership” of the Apex Council would be in vain.

“The Apex Council is not being taken seriously. As ZIMTA, we are saying let’s regroup and have a team that is recognised by the government because as long as the Apex Council remains as it is, our concerns will not be heard,” said Ndlovu. He added it was regrettable that leadership issues at the Apex Council were taking precedence over the welfare of teachers and other civil servants.

“We are approaching 2013 and we have not yet mapped the way forward. Are we saying leadership issues are bigger than what our members want?” said Ndlovu.

Legitimate leadership

Contrary to Ndlovu’s sentiments, PTUZ President, Takavafira Zhou, said the Apex Council leadership was legitimate. He blamed the government for fanning divisions within the Apex Council.

“We followed a clear path that produced a legitimate Apex Council leadership. The problem is that the government wanted to choose people to negotiate with and after those people lost the elections, they now want to claim the Apex Council has an illegitimate leadership,” said Zhou. TUZ Secretary General, Ottoman Magaya, said: “the government is saying we are not organised but even in the past when there were no wrangles, we got nothing from the government,” said Magaya.

Dzatsunga, the Apex Council Chairperson, said: “It’s not government business to choose the leadership of the Apex Council.” He blamed the PSA for having “misrepresented to the government that there was a leadership wrangle within the Apex Council”.

The Minister of Public Service, Lucia Matibenga, said she was not in a position to comment on the issue.