Kasambara slams teachers over pupils demonstration

Malawi’s renowned lawyer and former Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara has slammed primary school teachers for allowing pupils to go to the streets protesting against teachers’ delayed salaries.

Kasambara: Teachers to blame
Kasambara: Teachers to blame

More than 1,000 teachers went on strike Monday after their salaries were not paid. This is one of a series of strikes by teachers. Malawi’s education ministry said at least 6,600 teachers have not been paid since May.

The pupils were angry at government for the continued delays in paying their teachers’  salaries.

About 500 schoolchildren broke classroom windows and damaged cars to protest a strike by their teachers in Malawi’s commercial capital, Blantyre, on Wednesday.

The students, aged between six and 12, smashed at least 40 cars, according to police. The damaged vehicles, which included an Axa Bus registration Axa 17, were parked at Manase Police Unit and Blantyre Police Station.

“We’re not learning,” the pupils chanted in the local Chichewa language as they blocked one of the city’s main roads with rocks and tree branches.

Commenting on the development, Kasambara said in as much as school children have a right to demonstrate, they have no right to abandon school premises and go on to the streets.

“Here teachers and headteachers are squarely to blame. if any child is hit by a car or indeed anything happens to him or her outside school premises parents will sue both the teachers, headteachers and owners of school ( and in this case the very same government they are demonstrating against),” said Kasambara.

He advised teachers to always send pupils to the respective homes should they want to demonstrate.

“Should kids want to demonstrate, send them back to their homes. Let them demonstrate whilst coming from their parents/guardians homes.

“What future leaders are we raising or taming in our homes? There are so many organised and civilised ways of demonstrating against government,” said Kasambara.

Meanwhile, some teachers have received their perks.

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology blamed the delays on the decentralised paying system, which government has just introduced.

The new payment system affected six districts including Nsanje, Chitipa, Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Blantyre Urban and Ntchisi.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
65 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
syamboza
syamboza
9 years ago

ndiwe mbuzi mbzava,ofuna kupha phwiyo wachgolol milomo ili pyuuuuuuuuuuuuu galu. Ndalama unaba iwe kani uloya wako ngopusa etii. ana akachite demonstileti kunyumba kwawo why???????? kusukuluko analandila xcool fund yawo yopereka makolo awo komaso ndiozindikila kuposana ndiwe. alindi ufulu ochita zionetsero ngati ufulu wawo waphwanyidwa. waphwanya ufulu ndi pitala muthalika posawapatsa ndala aphinzitsi chifukwa pitalayo ndalamazo alibe poti ralph anaba.

kodi ralph wake nduja timkamuwerenga manyuzi kale uja kuti wapatsa mimba mwana ampita naye ku mangochi kapena ndiwina. ukumanga usaganize kuti uka nena zabwino nde upulumuka unya

Jimmy
9 years ago

Kasambara you want to show us that your now concerned bcz pupils went on streets to protest,why didnt you not show the same when you were looting that tax payers money meant to pay teachers on time?We dont want your ideas or contributions towards the state of affairs of this country now bcz you have proven to be unreliable,thief and selfish.

peter
peter
9 years ago

Teachers are to blame for not controlling pupils so that they should not have demonstrated on streets (though teachers are on strike and hence could not work or make any decision to escort pupils home). The government is to blame for not paying teachers their salaries on time (though the government does not have adequate money to pay teachers on time). Ralph and company of looters are finally to blame for defrauding government of the little resources it has through cashgate thereby making the government unable to fulfil its obligation to pay teachers on time! So Ralph’s three fingers points… Read more »

eish
eish
9 years ago

Kasambara better shut up, he is the main reason for Malawi’s poverty!! stupid man!!

Chinyama Phiri
9 years ago

Kasambara alankhula ngati ndani zama phunzitsi,

Momo sam
9 years ago

WHY ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT BAD FUTURE LEADERS AS IF WE HAVE GOOD ONES NOW,YOU KAMUZU TRAINED IDIOTS ARE THE ONES DESTROYING THIS COUNTRY AND YOU ARE NOT EVEN GOOD EXAMPLES,KAMUZU GAVE YOU GOOD SCHOOLS,GOOD TEACHERS AND WE DONT HAVE GOOD SCHOOLS,HOSPITALS,POLICE YOU PROVIDE US SHIT WHILST YOU ENJOYED HONEY,MUPHWISA ZANGOYAMBA MAGALIMOTO ANUWO TIMPHWANYA MPAKA YOU YOU PROVIDE THE BEST FOR MALAWI YOUTH…IDIOT OLD FOOLS(not all of them)

Njolopingo
Njolopingo
9 years ago

Galu, nyani, mfiti gologolo- Umatamba kapena, ngati sutamba ndiyekuti umadya maliro- Eeeeeee! iweyo Kasambala

Perks
Perks
9 years ago
Reply to  Njolopingo

Kani maliro amadyeka, Njolopingo ndiwe mfiti.

M'Malawi weniweni
M'Malawi weniweni
9 years ago

Number 53, in other countries they have people with masters degrees teaching in primary school. That is why their education is well advanced as the produce well baked beans from the primary schools as they have competent teachers starting from the very start of school life.

Avwani
Avwani
9 years ago

I do not like Ralph at all; but I have picked one crucial point from his comment – ‘ who would take responsibility in case of an injury or death of a school child during such street demos – when the starting point has been from school premises and NOT from home?’ . Now, this is no small question and please teachers, take note – seriously

iwe munganya
iwe munganya
9 years ago

What is important here is the point Ralph is trying to put forward. Don’t let these small children go on the street striking. Mind you, Ralph is innocent until proven guilty. Where on earth do you want a graduate with Masters to be a primary school teacher? Ask yourself why you are a primary school teacher today. As much as you are right to demand more perks you have a responsibility to take ownership of your well being. You teachers are part and parcel of the problem. We have failed to have credible elections because of you teachers. How on… Read more »

Chembe lumbe
Chembe lumbe
9 years ago
Reply to  iwe munganya

Developed countries have teachers with tailored masters degrees teaching in primary school.

Read previous post:
MCP demands DPP govt to resolve judicially strike

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has called on the Peter Mutharika government to resolve quickly the industrial strike by the support staff...

Close