The demand by former Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science, and Technology Development, Simelisizwe Sibanda, for the transfer of an early childhood development (ECD) teacher with a Shona surname from a primary school in Bubi has sparked a contentious debate. While some support Sibanda’s stance, others have accused him of tribalism.
During a meeting held on June 24 at Clonmore Primary School in Bubi Constituency, Matabeleland North, where Sibanda serves as the Member of Parliament, he insisted on the immediate transfer of ECD teacher Winnet Mharadze from the school.
The school is located about 55km from Bulawayo near Gloag High School.
In an audio that has since gone viral on social media, Sibanda accused the ECD teacher of killing the futures of children in the constituency.
Sibanda had gone to donate uniforms to primary schoolchildren when he met learners, teachers and parents. Addressing the school head before parents and hundreds of learners, Sibanda said:
Head, can you assist me? Kindly transfer this teacher. Yesterday we had the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, he said he wasn’t aware that there is a teacher who doesn’t understand a local language who teaches the local language, IsiNdebele. We don’t want to waste our children’s future.
Kindly transfer this teacher immediately. Let’s do it that way, we want teachers to teach children and understand. If she was teaching Grade 6 we would understand, not ECD.
Reacting to Sibanda’s conduct, Progressive Teacher Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou said Sibanda should apologise to the teacher and the nation. Said Zhou:
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.
Worse still, the MP seems to be ignorant of how teachers are transferred by his assumption that he or the head, Sifiso Buhlungu, has the 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 asserted that there were more than 20 languages in Zimbabwe and the “reductionist perception” of just Shona and Ndebele should be rejected.
However, Matabeleland political activist Artwell Sibanda defended the MP’s actions, stating to NewsDay that there was nothing inappropriate about requesting teachers who are proficient in the local language to instruct ECD classes. He said:
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
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:
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.
What the MP said is not new neither is he the first nor the last to raise the issue of 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, who is the leader of the United Movement for Devolution, said:
We believe that people who are conversant with the local culture, local traditions, and local language must take the lead in the development of that region, province or area. That is our stand.
The same goes for teaching. Our view is that children must be taught in their mother language or that which they understand, especially at the infant level.
Mbuso Fuzwayo, secretary-general of Ibhetshu LikaZulu, highlighted the significance of the issue, noting that its discussion by a deputy Cabinet minister and MP underscores its importance. Said Fuzwayo:
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 continue to be ignored.
The deployment of non-Ndebele-speaking teachers to teach ECD classes in the predominantly Ndebele Matabeleland provinces has been a sticky issue in a region that continues to register poor pass rates year-in-year.
Sibanda defended his actions by clarifying that he was not endorsing tribalism but rather implementing government policy.
According to this policy, teachers responsible for lower primary school classes should possess proficiency in local languages. He said:
Mine was just an issue of Government policy on the issue of deployment of teachers and teachers have choices to apply to their preferred areas and are not deployed from nowhere.
My encouragement was from that particular community and 40 ECD souls to have someone able to do what should be done, which is teaching.
ECDs should be taught in their mother tongue if the Government is to achieve what it intends to achieve through Vision 2030.
There is no way I can be tribal, that is why I said if she was teaching Grade Six it wouldn’t be a problem.
I didn’t say anything like no Shona speaker is allowed to teach in Matabeleland nor did I make reference to her surname in that regard.
Meanwhile, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has dismissed Sibanda from his role as Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science, and Technology Development.
This was confirmed in a statement released on Monday, 01 July 2024, by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Martin Rushwaya. Said Rushwaya:
His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde. Dr. Emmerson D. Mangagwa has, in terms of Section 108(1a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe removed Hon. Simelisizwe Sibanda from the Office of Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development with immediate effect.
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