Cops target teachers ahead of polls

The secretary general of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Raymond Majongwe, told The Zimbabwean this week that electoral periods in Zimbabwe have come to be characterised by harassment of teachers, particularly in the rural areas where they are regarded as significant opinion-formers in society.

Police visited the PTUZ offices in Manicaland last month, demanding to know the union’s political activities ahead of the elections. Majongwe said the situation was the same at various PTUZ offices around the country.

“Surveillance on us has increased and even at my home, there are several suspicious cars that come on a daily basis. We know that we are being watched, especially during this period and we are wary that our members may be victimised during the elections,” he said.

A PTUZ official based at the Manicaland offices, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The police officers were from Mutare Central. They were asking several questions relating to our organizational structure, names of our leaders as well as political activities that we are conducting in our day-to-day activities.”

The union says seven of its members died during the June 2008 polls and more than 60 others were harassed, intimidated and tortured. Many fled to take refuge in urban areas as well as neighbouring countries such as South Africa and Botswana. Some schools in rural areas were forced to close after Zanu (PF) youths and war veterans set up torture bases in their premises. The PTUZ is on record challenging the government to declare schools “Peace Zones” during elections.

“Teachers are being harassed at a local level by Headmasters and even war veterans. Some of our members were even vetted out of the referendum process. What has complicated the issue for us is that even the MDC is now saying that they have a problem with some of us,” said Majongwe.

The PTUZ was among the few organisations that campaigned for a “No Vote” during the constitutional referendum in March.