Police backtrack on decision to bar PTUZ celebrations

By Henry Makiwa
5 October 2007

Police in Bulawayo yesterday made a climb-down from their position to bar the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) from holding the annual World Teachers Day celebrations in the country’s second largest city.

On Thursday, Bulawayo police refused to clear a PTUZ meeting citing the union’s record of battles over teachers’ salaries with government, and constant pronouncements by its leader Raymond Majongwe against bad governance.

According to a police statement to the PTUZ, the union was accused of being “bent on tarnishing the country’s image” hence the position to forbid its meeting. The police, however made a change to its decision on Friday after the PTUZ filed an urgent court application with the High Court arguing that the police have no jurisdiction to block their meeting.

A PTUZ official yesterday said the police had sent a statement allowing the union to go ahead with its celebrations.

He said: “Our matter was about to be heard in the High Court at noon but the police sent someone to say the celebrations have been cleared as long as we don’t talk politics or carry banners with political messages.”

He added: “They also said that they will keep an eye on us and reserve the right to end it if need be. But we will go ahead and discuss all the matters affecting teachers without fear. Most of our members are not happy with the recent salary hike as businesses rushed to increase the costs of basic commodities upon learning we have been given higher pay.”

The state media on Friday reported that the government has awarded civil servants a 422 percent salary increment.

Depicting the direct effects of the civil servants pay increase, the Chronicle newspaper reported that: “basic commodities are shooting up again, with a loaf of bread now going for $200 000 — that is if you can find it in the first place.”

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