Indoctrination of school heads an affront to democracy

REPORTS that Zanu PF has since last weekend been railroading school heads across the country to attend the party’s indoctrination drills are not only disconcerting, but paint a bleak picture of the direction the country is taking ahead of the 2023 general elections. More worrying is the fact that the forced training comes just two months after Zanu PF ordered all civil servants to undergo these indoctrination lectures at the ruling party’s Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology, notwithstanding that the Constitution clearly states that government workers should be apolitical.

According to the reports, school heads in Manicaland province attended the training in Mutasa district on Saturday and Sunday. These were facilitated by party provincial officials and members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association.

While there is nothing wrong in Zanu PF indoctrinating its members, there is everything wrong in frog-marching non-members, worse still civil servants.

This does not only constitute a human rights violation but goes against the letter and spirit of sections 200 and 208 of the Constitution which prohibit government employees from engaging in party politics.

Zanu PF, like any other party, draws its membership from across all professions, including teaching, nursing and others, but this does not mean it has the right to force its ideology on all people.

It is clear Zanu PF is desperate to indoctrinate the school heads using the stick and carrot tactic. On Tuesday, teacher unions disclosed that school heads were awarded a salary increment ranging from 10% to 25% starting this month, with ordinary teachers, who have all along been clamouring for a salary increment, being left out.

The motive is now clear that the Zanu PF government is trying to entice school heads with money as well as indoctrinate them in order to neutralise the hostilities between it and the educators.

Politicisation of institutions of learning is the least Zimbabweans expected from Zanu PF because it will definitely affect the quality of education in the country.

School heads and teachers are technocrats who should be allowed to act professionally. We urge Zanu PF to stop the madness and respect the dictates of the Constitution.