This followed stern disciplinary measures on a number of teachers, one of whom reportedly failed to turn up for work for more than 500 days that is, inching towards two years of absence. The official said some regional leaders opposed suspending a teacher with that length of absence.
The acting district secretary was adamant that a teacher who has missed classes for 500 days was a situation that was clear for the commission as to what measures ought to be taken in that situation and had jointly resolved on his suspension.
The district official put the matter to a press conference to seek public awareness and rectification of the situation, following the move by the commission’s secretariat in the district to suspend 15 primary and secondary school teachers for absenteeism. Seven of them were secondary school teachers and eight from primary schools.
Knowing what it means to be employed, and hearing that a person who has not reported for duty for more than a year was still in the public payroll is surprising to say the least, and the case is a sort of eye opener what problems confront the current authorities in instilling efficiency.
Due to the fact that teaching in primary and secondary school is administered by local governments, there is an impression that it is a matter of just agreeing to look aside; thus the secretary becomes a villain for insisting that rules be observed. But should we also wait for threats to be executed?
Assuming that the DC for Chamwino is not one of the public officials or political leaders who sent or expressed threats to the commission’s executive in the district, the office of the DC must take action to ensure that those who expressed threats are brought to book.
This is a matter of the district committee on defence and security to take into its hands, so that public officials who work day and night to implement directives and spirit of the fifth phase government are not put to threat, overly discouraged, by remnants of the old system. They want everyone to look aside while a few irresponsible individuals perhaps with well positioned friends do as they please.
Pursuing an administrative thrust of efficiency and weeding out irresponsibility also means meeting head on any threats to public servants working ‘as sheep among wolves,’ so that these wolves don’t halt the process of change and restoration of public service ethos.
If this matter is left unpunished, that officials who expressed discomfort with the suspensions are not removed from leadership positions or publicly rebuked, others will follow. And since the TSC secretary has gone public on those threats, if nothing is done it will be the same as condoning such threats.
To use tennis jargon, after the commission moved to suspend irresponsible teachers, the other side through a support network or a few well positioned friends threw the ball back that they don’t want to see pubic officials act that way.
The ball is thus with the district office which secretary Shaban is serving, to take action on those who expressed discomfort or sent threats over the phone. It is a question of defending integrity, and putting on notice those who fight change. They should know the government is ready to defend faithful servants, not look aside.
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