Teachers have dismissed claims by the government that it had released over $750 million to schools for procurement of covid 19 personal protective equipment (PPE).
Schools are set to open soon on Monday 15 March and the government announced that it is equipping schools with PPEs and other World Health Organizations (Who) stipulated covid 19 necessities to curb the spread of covid 19 and to ensure the safety of pupils and teachers.
However, progressive teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takawira Zhou allerged the government that it had not yet released the 750 million required to secure covid 19 and stop its spread to teachers and pupils.
”Schools are in a fix currently, and they are struggling to ease financial constraints and accumulated debts since they used their own money last year to buy sanitizes and other covid 19 materials, the government has not refunded the money yet.” Zhou said.
He added that the money that was said to be distributed by the government has never materialised.
”Government had that that in the first phase they distributed $600 million and an additional $ 150 million in the second phase to schools, yet the money never materialized.” Continued Zhou.
He also said that it might not be surprising that the money went into private pockets of corrupt officials.
Mr Zhou said schools were reluctant to use their own resources since the government had failed to live by it’s promise.
