By ANDREW MUKOMA
BASIC Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) says it cannot believe the New Dawn governments has proposed to employ 30, 000 teachers in its first national budget running from January 2022 to December 2022.
BETUZ General Secretary Henry Sinkala said the Union was shocked and did not see that coming, adding that it was unexpected.
In an interview with the Sunday Nation following the presentation of the 2022 national budget to Parliament yesterday by Finance Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, Mr Sinkala said that it believed that the promise to employ more 20,000 teachers was only a campaign promise by President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND.
“We are shocked that government will employ 30,000 teachers and to us as a Union, it needs commendation because there is no government that has ever done that in the last 20 years I have been in the service, and since independence,” he said.
“The New Dawn government means well for our sector and to the citizenry. We do not have fitting words for the decision,” he said.
Mr Sinkala said that the previous government said it was expensive to employ such a number but the New Dawn has done it.
The BETUZ GS added that it is also incredible that government has also abolished the issue of PTA, exam and tution fees for learners from Grade one up to Grade 12.
“We will see pupils from poor families access free education. Our children will have no reason not to reach up to grade 12. The previous regime did it but it was only up to grade seven but the New Dawn is going up to Garde 12,” he said.
He said that the decision is landmark move and he wished the UPND government well.
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