Obert Masaraure, a prominent trade unionist and human rights activist, has been summarily dismissed from his position as a high school teacher.
Masaraure, who serves as the president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), disclosed his dismissal in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. He said:
Today I received a summary dismissal from my teaching post. The letter dated 30 March was pregnant with lies, but because no one accorded me the right to be heard they acted on falsehoods.
I have served the government since May 2014 and they chose to just terminate my contract.
It’s so heart-wrenching that we have a serious shortage of STEM teachers. Some of us are willing to serve under the difficult working conditions.
The ruling elites choose to invest anything and everything to block us from teaching. They are punishing learners not me. We won’t allow it
Opposition politician Gift Ostallos Siziba condemned Masaraure’s dismissal, saying the trade unionist was merely a victim of his activism. Said Siziba:
ARTUZ President Masaraure is a STEM teacher in a country that is losing teachers leaving the country due to poor remuneration.
The regime has expelled him without due process. This is the challenge with the regime in Harare.
Instead of addressing the issues raised by the teachers and civil servants, it decides to punish their representatives. We have to wage a collective fight!
Masaraure has been a prominent and outspoken advocate for the rights of teachers in Zimbabwe, championing better working conditions and defending the independence of the education sector from political interference.
He has been a vocal critic of the government’s treatment of teachers, who have long grappled with issues like low salaries, inadequate resources, and poor working environments.
Masaraure’s dismissal from his teaching position is widely seen as a retaliatory measure against his vocal activism and defence of human rights.
As a prominent trade unionist and civil society leader, he has been a thorn in the side of a government that has been accused of cracking down on dissent and suppressing the activities of independent organisations.
The summary nature of Masaraure’s termination, without due process, is likely to be interpreted as an attempt to silence a prominent critic and deter others from speaking out against the government’s policies and actions.
More: Pindula News