Mthuli Ncube ane maramba doro: Teacher

..Ncube is celebrating at a funeral in the midst of grieving family members

TEACHERS yesterday hit back at Finance minister Mthuli Ncube for “insulting” the teaching profession by claiming that government had done much to improve their lot.

Ncube told Parliament last week that demands by teachers for the US$540 pre-October 2018 salaries were misleading.

Teachers and other civil servants are pleading incapacitation as they push for United States dollar-indexed salaries as the local currency continues to lose value.

Educators Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Tapedza Zhou told NewsDay that Ncube’s utterances misinformed the nation.

“Mthuli Ncube should not misinform the nation and himself as well by some cheap semantics. To then claim that they have done a lot to improve salaries for civil servants when he presided over the loss of value for the local currency makes us want to know if the minister is good at addition and subtraction,” Zhou said.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said Ncube should be called to order.

“He can’t create falsehoods. If he isn’t aware that we earned US$540, he can go back to government files and see that,” he said.

“Soon, we’ll be told that we are not Zimbabweans. The so-called middle-income economy can’t be achieved without teachers. Our families are here and we want the country’s wealth to be shared equally.”

Zimbabwe Union of School Heads secretary-general Munyaradzi Majoni said Ncube’s remarks were very unfortunate.

“The statements are not only untrue, but unfortunate. We don’t know the technical explanations he will use to justify his false assertion on pre-October 2018 salaries,” Majoni said.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said teachers had no option, but to go on strike.

“The statement is reckless and hinges on arrogance. It is a fact that the cost of living is rising both in US$ and local currency terms,” Masaraure said.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association secretary-general Goodwill Taderera also said the statement was unfortunate.

“As we speak, it’s about the consumer price index. Prices have gone up and the cost of living has gone up. So, he is the one who is misleading the nation,” Taderera said.

A Mberengwa based former teacher Musununguri Mpedzegwa, said Mthuli Ncube anemaramba doro.

“I think Minister Ncube should immediately suspend consuming alcohol because it is clear kuti ane maramba doro. Kana dziri mbanje ngaawadze pepa. There is no sane and sober person who can utter such rubbish of satanic proportion. Here is a man who is joyfully celebrating at a funeral in the midst of wailing bereaved people.”

–NewsDay & Zimbabwe Observer

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