By Christopher Makaza
Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) leader Obert Masaraure and the Union`s Secretary General Robson Chere are being accused by the associations’ members of personalising and undermining the organisation after they postponed the ARTUZ Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was scheduled for 7 and 8 December 2019 and slated it for early January 2020.
According to a contact within ARTUZ, the two postponed the AGM, which was meant to select a new leadership, because their allies had not been selected during the nomination exercise held by the ten provinces. However, the two were nominated to retain their positions.
The two allegedly wanted other influential positions to be taken by their allies who include Memory Chinheyo, Godfrey Chando and Lawrence Mapengo.
The contact said Masaraure and Chere claimed that they postponed the AGM because they wanted to wait for Zanu PF conference to be held in Goromonzi next week to adopt the national budget which will then help ARTUZ to make their five year strategic plan. The two also claimed that the suppliers they had engaged to supply material for the AGM had failed to do so.
According to the contact, other ARTUZ members received the above reasons with suspicion and they foresaw the hidden agenda from the two who are also being accused of sacking the organisation`s Programme Coordinator Brighton Makunike, accusing him of being a State security agent.
The two are reportedly planning to rig the coming elections in favour of their aforementioned allies and other union members have already gotten wind of the plot and want to rigorously resist the move.
The two, according to the contact, have allegedly engaged MDC Youth Assembly members who they want to preside over the ARTUZ election, among them MDC youth leaders Obey Sithole and Ostalos Gift Siziba. The contact revealed that the two have since written to MDC Secretary for Election, Jacob Mafume requesting for the release of more officers.
Masaraure is also being accused of misusing the union`s funds together with his wife Sabina Kundai Charamba. The two are allegedly the only signatories of the ARTUZ account which gives them room to misuse the account.
This is not the first time that Masaraure has been involved in controversy.
In December last year, teachers who participated in a march from Mutare to Harare were in fact promised US$100 each, but were not given the money and were fighting the organisers for tricking them into demonstrating for nothing.
They accused the ARTUZ leadership comprising of Masaraure, Dirk Frey and Robson Chere of misappropriating funds. The teachers were given food hampers instead.
They also accused the leadership of ARTUZ of failing to pay allowances to teachers who participated in a demonstration held in Harare on December 20 last year which was meant to put pressure on Government to pay civil servants in United States dollars.
