Govt summons mayors to training on Zanu PF ideology

By Staff Reporter

The government has directed mayors and local government chairpersons to attend a three-day training on Zanu PF ideology at the Chitepo School of Ideology, inviting strong resentment from a residents’ group that has hired lawyers to challenge the directive.

Through Local Government ministry secretary, K Ncube, the mayors were set to attend the training from 21-23 August 2024 at Rainbow Towers in Harare.

In his invitation letter to mayors, Ncube said “it is pertinent for Local Authorities to be exposed to the ideals of national security and patriotism as espoused by the Chitepo School of Ideology.”

According to the training programme, the mayors will receive a near four-hour lecture on “the ideology of Zanu PF and Zimbabwe”.

The Chitungwiza Residents Trust (CHITREST) has since hired lawyers to challenge the planned training which they argued was in violation of the national constitution.

“Our client finds that the above training offends several provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and amounts to a grave violation of the constitutional rights to impartial and non-partisan administrative conduct and the freedom of assembly and association,” lawyers wrote to Ncube.

“The Permanent Secretary, as an employee of the government cannot convene and fund a training/meeting on behalf of a political party.

“This is contrary to the principles of impartiality and non-partisanship expected of members of the Civil Service as espoused under 200 (3)(a)(b) of the Constitution.

“As such, the conduct of convening a meeting on behalf of a political party infringes on the right to non-partisan and impartial administrative conduct.

“Section 68(1) of the Constitution states that ‘every person has a right to administrative conduct that is lawful, prompt, efficient, reasonable, proportionate, impartial and both substantively and procedurally fair’.”

CHITREST said “the training is a tool to further the political objectives of Zanu PF through the office established for civil service”.

The group further said through its lawyers that the directive offends the right to freedom of association.

“It is our client’s understanding that councils are currently constituted by leadership from different political parties,” read the letter of demand by lawyers.

“The contents of the letter are tantamount to forcing members, especially of different political parties to attend an event that furthers the ideology of a single political party, Zanu PF at the exclusion of others.”

Lawyers demanded the revocation of the directive and the cancellation of the planned training.

Named after late iconic liberation war hero Herbert Chitepo, the Chitepo School of Ideology built just recently is viewed by critics as a Zanu PF indoctrination college.