Gokwe Parents Hit Back on the Bogus Zimbabwe Parents Union (ZPU) 

A sample of Gokwe Parents from the Surbubs of Mapfungautsi, Nyaradza and Sasame slammed a disparate attempt by the Labour and Social Welfare minister Paul Mavima and a handful group of parents for their attempt to meddle into the teachers affairs by trying to form a shadowy union to silence striking teachers.

Instead these parents showed their concern on the future of their children but also expressed their parenthood feelings to the state of the Teachers most of which are failing to pay rent and feed themselves at the same time.

These parents voewed that they will not interfere with teaching fraternity for it will affect their children as well. They affirmed that good relations with teachers reciprocate a good relation between the teacher and the child.

They described as null, void and detrimental, a Zimbabwe Parents Union, yet to be registered led by Martin Maziwisa.

One of the parents confirmed that he is already a member of the Zimbabwe Parents Union WhatsApp group that is trying to mobilise other parents. She said she also have a son who is a teacher and the same have a friend teacher who rents a room in his house. She is aware of the state of the teachers and will not mobilise parents to help impoverish the teachers.

A number of pro-Government activists accuse teachers for being unpatriotic and forgetting to realise that teaching is in itself a call. Hence, teachers must be ready to offer their services under whatever circumstances.

Though many legislature from the opposition and the controversial Independent Member for Norton Constituency, Themba Mliswa challenged the government to pay teachers a decent salary, the ZANU PF member and MP for Buhera South at the same time, Joseph Chinotimba in the National Assembly on Tuesday blamed teachers for being intoxicated by the MDC Alliance.

Thus, Maziwisa called parents to come together and unite to defend their children’s loss of education by wanton and unpatriotic teachers.

“As you are aware, the current impasse between government and teachers has greatly affected students’ learning. We hope that if we broaden our inputs as parents, we will tackle some of these issues and mediate so that our children are not deprived in terms of education. Let’s safeguard our future generations and chart their destiny. We are the voice of the voiceless,” read a message sent by Maziwisa to the group.

“We need to open Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as register the union so that we spread our tentacles. Strategies are already there and the minister responded positively yesterday. The same way we brought him here is the same way we will book an appointment with him to present what we believe is in the best interests for both parties.”

This position taken Maziwisa’s ZPU is influenced by deep feeling for their children and that the teachers’ demands are “unrealistic”.

“As parents we won’t accept unrealistic demands which we know government won’t endorse. Demanding salaries of US$520 is absolutely unrealistic. That is why the government won’t budge.”

Minister Mavhima seem to buy in the idea of Maziwisa raising a suspicion from the educators that there is an ‘Unholly Alliance’ between the two in a bid to force educator back to the classroom.

“We have to be realistic in our demands. Government has increased salaries three times this year, 150%, 50% and 40%. We have also given them US$75 which is going to be a permanent feature. We have also said let us continue negotiating to see what else can be added. We urge everyone to be prudent in their demands. These progressive improvements will continue as the macro economy improves,” Mavima said.

A parent who at the same time is member of the ZANU PF Women League castigated Mavhima and called Parents to stand with ED Mnangagwa who declared on his SONA that he is aware of the state of the teachers. So she sees Mavhima as blind to the cause of the teachers.

A meeting between the Teachers Unions and the government is scheduled on Friday 30/10/20 as preparations for the third phase opening of school is at its climax.

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