Some teachers say they are appalled by a donation of fishing canoes made recently by former Zanu PF lawmaker, Killer Zivhu, who was expelled from the ruling party for allegedly using social media to push for a meeting between Zimbabwe’s First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s wife, Sithokozile.
Reacting to the donation of the canoes, currently trending on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association said Zivhu has degraded teachers’ integrity.
ZIMTA chief executive officer, Sifiso Ndlovu, told VOA Zimbabwe Service that teachers are unhappy about Zivhu’s donation.
“Mr Killer Zivhu degraded and dragged the dignity of the teaching profession when in his dramatic acts of mercy which actually were acts of self-perpetuating, equated the teaching profession to unskilled laborer’s job. He tacitly suggested to the teachers that they should abandon their useless calling of educating the nation. Call it a classic frame by a pseudo-failed politician, sure it was.
“One gets really worried when a teacher becomes a subject of pity in Zimbabwe instead of a celebrated intellectual liberator and a strategic person in positioning Zimbabwe in the competition of human capital development in the global space.”
Several other teachers’ organizations expressed the same sentiments saying they need a living wage of US$520 a month instead of being ridiculed by the public for struggling to make ends meet.
Responding to Zivhu’s gesture, Raymond Majongwe of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe said, “Teachers are not charity seekers who should be recipients of such donations. The best these politicians can do is lobby for better salaries for teachers. If they are interested in empowering teachers let us see them give teachers agricultural land and mining claims. Teachers need to survive after they retire from the service.”
Zivhu said he donated the canoes with fishing rods so that teachers can have some self-help projects while attending lessons, especially in rural areas.
“I have come once again to empower our teachers by giving them canoes with engines so they can catch a lot of fish in Mutokwe-Mukosi so they can have relish and sell some of them during these hard times. We know that things are hard and you are earning little money but the president is trying to fix things … Not that teachers should get a lot of money but for all Zimbabweans to get reasonable pay. We wish to thank you all teachers. Continue with what you are doing while the president is fixing things. All will be well. Zimbabweans need to work together.”
Zivhu has of late been donating an assortment of goods to some disadvantaged communities.