A DEPUTY minister’s demands for the transfer from a primary school in Bubi of an early childhood development (ECD) teacher with a Shona name has been met with mixed feelings, underlining the sensitivity created by tribal undertones.
This was because the teacher was incapable of teaching the young children in their local Ndebele language, according to Bubi legislator Simelisizwe Sibanda (Zanu PF).
Sibanda is also the Higher and Tertiary Education deputy minister.
The move has been met with mixed feelings, with several citizens blasting him, while locals hailed his stance.
During a meeting at the school on June 24, Sibanda demanded that Clonmore Primary School head immediately transfer ECD teacher Winnet Mharadze from the school.
An audio in which he made the demand has since gone viral on social media.
Sibanda accused the ECD teacher of “killing” children’s future after he asked her if she knew uqethu (lawn grass) and when she failed to answer the legislator openly blasted her for getting paid for doing nothing.
The school is located about 55km from Bulawayo near Gloag High School.
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Sibanda had gone to donate uniforms to primary schoolchildren when he met learners, teachers and parents.
“Make sure that by Monday, she is gone,” Sibanda said.
The school head, Sifiso Buhlungu, confirmed the incident to the media, but declined to shed more light, referring the media to the district education authorities.
Reacting to the MP’s conduct, Progressive Teacher Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou said the legislator should apologise to the teacher and the nation.
“The teacher, who appears petrified in the audio, received a barrage of questions merely because of her ethnic identity. The MP gave the teacher a summary dismissal and ordered the school head to ensure that he facilitates the dismissal forthwith,” Zhou said.
“Worse still, the MP seems to be ignorant of how teachers are transferred by his assumption that he or the head, Sifiso Buhlungu, has power to summarily transfer a teacher in a manner reminiscent of the colonial master and servant scenario.
“As PTUZ, we want to reiterate that Zanu PF needs to rein in their rogue and errant MP who lacks educational taxonomy and professional ethics and is a danger to our society at large. The Primary and Secondary Education ministry needs to give this thuggish MP tutorials on professionalism and Ubuntu.”
Zhou said there were more than 20 languages in Zimbabwe and the “reductionist perception” of just Shona and Ndebele should be thrown outside the window.
But Matabeleland political activist Artwell Sibanda supported the legislator’s stance.
“She was not asked to leave due to her Shona surname, but was asked to leave because she is not conversant with the dominant language within the particular society where the school is situated,” Sibanda said.
“She teaches at ECD level, a critical period in the development of a child and that a teacher who develops and nurtures a child must be fluent in the mother tongue of the child for easy learning and communication.”
Freedom Alliance leader and academic Samukele Hadebe said language issues were very sensitive and could divide the nation if carelessly handled.
“I do not want to add petrol to raging flames, hence I urge all to handle language issues with great sensitivity. We often debate on languages used here and there as if languages exist autonomously, yet they define a people since they carry a culture and a people’s worldview,” Hadebe said.
“What the MP said is not new neither is he the first nor the last to raise the issue on perceived marginalisation and, indeed, short-changing of IsiNdebele learners by teachers who are not conversant with the language.”
Former Speaker of the National Assembly Lovemere Moyo said devolution policy viewed localisation of social, political and economic development including the education sector as paramount.
“We believe that people who are conversant with the local culture, local traditions, local language must take the lead in the development in that region, province or area. That is our stand,” Moyo said.
“The same goes to teaching. Our view is that children must be taught in their mother language or that which they understand, especially at infant level,” Moyo, who is the leader of the United Movement for Devolution, added.
Ibhetshu LikaZulu secretary-general Mbuso Fuzwayo said he thought that an opportunity is being missed to address the issue of concern in the deployment of civil servants.
“That the matter has been raised by a ruling party legislator and more importantly a deputy minister underlines the gravity of the matter which must not continued to be ignored,” Fuzwayo said.
