2023 IS GOING TO BE HARSH AND QUICK, WARNS PS KAMOKO
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
2023 is going to be harsh and quick, says education permanent secretary – technical services Joel Kamoko.
And the Basic Teachers Union of Zambia has revealed that its 100,000 housing project will cost about US $9 billion.
Closing the 5th Basic Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) quadrennial conference at New Fairmount Hotel on Saturday, Kamoko said teachers would decide whether Zambia succeeds or fails.
“2023 is going to be harsh and quick…I want to see teachers that are productive. I want to see teachers who can change the destiny of Zambia, like I was changed by a Mrs Mulenga in 1971,” Kamoko said.
He noted that something has been lost in Zambia as “Zambians don’t have a sense of identity.”
“But there is something that is not lost, a teacher,” Kamoko said.
He was however saddened that teachers spend a lot of time insulting their superiors and union leaders.
“Educators you spend a lot of time insulting each other and not praising each other. When I go to Facebook, I find a lot insults,” Kamoko said.
He noted that Zambians have a tendency of being tribal and yet a lot of men from certain tribes like Tonga are married to Bemba women.
Kamoko added that in Zambia when a person succeeds, he or she, is viewed as being a Satanist and when one fails they are described as being Christian.
He also urged teachers not to promote illegality.
“The President (Hakainde Hichilema) has called for education reforms,” he said.
Kamoko urged unions not to reward teachers on Teachers Day with mattresses but a house, a car or an education scholarship.
“Most of you are not unionists at heart. You are chancers. Why are teachers poor when a soldier is rich? By the way how long does it take to train a soldier? And how long does it take to train a teacher? We (teachers) are poor because we chose to be poor,” he said. “You love to speak good English but you don’t love value. You spend too much time speaking English, no wonder you don’t see value in Tonga, Bemba, Lunda or Luvale. Some of you are more of your tribe than your country.”
Kamoko said just because there was a change of government there shouldn’t be lawlessness.
“Are you going to be the future or are you in the past? Please ensure that the teacher profession does not go to the dogs,” said Kamoko in reference to the multiplicity of teacher unions which now stand at nine.
BETUZ president Binstone Tembo revealed that basic and primary school teachers have not been upgraded to salary scale I.
He appealed to the government to regulate the number of unions each sector can have so as to stop the multiplicity of unions.
Tembo said BETUZ was the only union that was giving cash back at the rate of K500 for every year served for retired teachers that belonged to the union.
He said the over 100,000 houses to be built would be on a rent to own basis.
A union official earlier told the delegates that the houses will be built by a Dubai company at a costs of $9 billion.