Obert Masaraure sacked from his job as a schoolteacher

By Staff Reporter

Trade union leader Obert Masaraure, a civil servant, has been sacked from his job by government as a schoolteacher.

Masaraure, who is president of the militant Amalgamated Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), announced his dismissal in a post on X.

“Today, I received a summary dismissal from my teaching post. The letter dated 30 March was pregnant with lies, but because no one accorded me right to be heard they acted on falsehoods.

“I have served government since May 2014 and they chose to just terminate my contract,” he said on Tuesday.

Masaraure said his dismissal was a sign that the Zanu PF led administration was determined to frustrate the few remaining teachers who have soldiered on despite continuously facing unfavourable working conditions.

“It’s so heart wrenching that we have a serious shortage of STEM teachers. Some of us are willing to serve under the difficult working conditions. The ruling elites choose to invest anything & everything to block us from teaching. They are punishing learners not me. We won’t allow it,” he said.

Masaraure has endured continued arrests and court trials often for alleged crimes related to his aggressive activism.

Under ARTUZ and the broader civil service’s trade unionism, Masaraure has called for strike actions to press for improved wages.

Outside union business, Masaraure has been a cutting-edge activist who has been at the forefront of continued demands for human rights in the country under Zanu PF.

His dismissal has been met with wide condemnation and is viewed as a continuation of his persecution.