THERE is absolutely nothing wrong in concerned parties looking at possible ameliorative measures as workers’ unions and Government negotiate the effects of economic austerity.  

What is very wrong is the politicisation of otherwise genuine grievances, through the intrusion of a ‘third force’.

Indeed, economic challenges are there for everyone to see.

In his Budget presentation, the Finance Minister was very candid in warning that in order to stabilise the economy, we had to endure austerity before prosperity.

It is against this background that any negotiations involving patriotic Zimbabweans must take cognisance of the reality on the ground.  

However, we are concerned about some unions which seem to have been infiltrated by NGOs and political parties whose agenda is regime change.

One union which has been quite prominent in its efforts to promote the regime change agenda is the Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ).

This is a union which, from its name, looks like it is there to fight for the the welfare of rural teachers.

Nothing could be further from the truth. 

However, when looking at organisations ARTUZ has befriended, it is obvious it is more interested in seeing the downfall of the ZANU PF Government and less in the welfare of teachers.

As bedfellows with regime change gurus like Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) and Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), among others, what else can you expect from this union which masquerades as a teachers’ organisation!

The composition of its top brass is self-explanatory.

 Some of the outspoken ARTUZ leaders are more of career activists with no teaching background at all, let alone rural life experience.

Their leader, Obert Masaraure, is a graduate of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, an institution that specialises in grooming and brainwashing such misfits to push for regime change in their mother countries.

That is why the so-called teachers’ union which he leads is not ashamed to publicly link up with the ZCTU and MDC-T in its desperate effort to dislodge ZANU PF. 

In its endeavour to be seen to be fighting for the welfare of teachers, it is demanding that Government dishes out pay in US$.

This they know is impossible since the Zimbabwean Government cannot print the greenbacks.

But that’s what NGOs egging them on want them to do.

All ARTUZ wants, if it would have its way, is to incite teachers to revolt against the Government, with the hope that outside intervention will see the fall of ZANU PF. 

But already, teachers have detected that their leaders are insincere.

Characteristic of these regime change agents; they fall into the trap of living large, apparently from donations meant for their purported organisations. 

ARTUZ members have already seen through this when they were duped after the so-called recent protest march from Mutare to Harare

ARTUZ is involved in negotiations to find ways to cushion teachers from ‘painful measures’ to revive the economy.

Fortunately, ARTUZ members are already aware of the comfort their non-teaching leaders enjoy as they are called upon to lay down their tools.