The Basic Education Teachers Union (BETUZ) in Muchinga Province has commended the government for placing over 17,000 newly recruited teachers on payroll before they could even report to their workstations.
And Chinsali District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) Pardon Tesho says a total of 177 newly recruited teachers have already been placed on the payroll in Chinsali District.
Mr. Tesho added that out of a total number of 350 recruited teachers in Chinsali District 339 have since reported and received their appointment letters.
The DEBS further thanked government for quickening the process of putting the recruited teachers on payroll in good time saying it has been one of the challenges the teaching sector has been facing for many years.
He says the act will help teachers report to their various schools in good time adding that this will also improve on the teacher pupil ratio in schools in the district.
And BETUZ Director Maclan Sichone said the move has elated not just the recruited teachers but also their family members and the Zambian citizens at large.
Mr. Sichone told the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in an interview today that the act shown by government has never happened in the history of Zambia.
He stated that President Hakainde Hichilema needs to be saluted and given another term for the good works he is doing.
Mr. Sichone added that in the past government teachers including other civil servants would stay for more than three to four months without being placed on payroll which was a big challenge.
“This is the sign that the new dawn government under President Hichilema is working with planned programmes because it is not easy to put over 17 thousand newly recruited workers on payroll at once,” he said.
And Mr. Sichone has appealed to the Ministry of Education in the area not to tolerate transfers saying they are a number of schools in the province that are in need of teachers.
He further called on those that have not yet been placed on the payroll not to lose hope but ensure they report to their respective schools and work diligently as governments has done its part and will ensure that they will be put on payroll soon.
“I want to urge those that have not received their salaries to go and report as government will place them on the payroll this coming month and congratulations to those that have received their salaries,” Mr. Sichone said.
Meanwhile, two newly recruited teachers Davies Chibwe and Angela Kantukulya who have received their August salaries thanked government for ensuring that some of those recruited are placed on payroll before they could even report to their various schools.
They further appealed to government to also consider placing those not yet on payroll next month.
“We are happy that we got our first salary even before we report for work at our respective schools. We are also appealing to government to ensure those not in payroll are included soon,” said Mr. Chibwe.
Recently Minister of Education Douglas Siakalima announced that out of the 30,496 newly recruited teachers, 17,400 have already been placed on the payroll.
If there is a situation in this world where you reap before sowing, it is this scenario.
Unless it is salary advance, deductible from subsequent salaries. This is systemic stealing of public money.
Put into context the 17, 400 teachers have drown money equal to K78.3m (assuming each worker is paid K4,500 tax free rate).
Do you remember those ministers in 2015 who got allowances and pay when government was dissolved. It was theft by public servant.
Mr Sichone, the Government is doing what it’s supposed to do. It’s not revolutionary, it’s what every person who does work for money expects. Let’s change how we look at this. What is the reason civil servants should beg for pay due to them? Probably someone just being lazy to do his/her job at the ministry. Maybe a useless cabinet that can not prioritise.
mulongoti walishalila sana. Ask the unions and find out whether that is stealing. It is the desire of the new dawn governent to have an active and motivated workforce. how do you expect a poor zambian from a poor family to sustai himself actively and healthly and teaching effectily for 30 days without money? Any way dont think every has money like you
I may be backwards, however, Iam being analytical for novices but forward thinking people like you.
Logically, a worker is always post paid; they are not prepaid. Unless there is something seriously wrong. They can’t have a cake and eat it too.
There are several jobless youths who have no access to that free lunch.