Malawi pupils protest over teachers delayed pay: Tear gas fired

November 19, 2014 Maurice Nkawihe- Nyasa Times 91 Comments

Pupils from some primary schools around commercial city of Blantyre brought business to a standstill on Wednesday when they took to the streets protesting against delayed teacher’s salaries.

School children protest over teachers delayed pay.
School children protest over teachers delayed pay.
Malawi primary school pupils have taken to the streets to protest delayed teacher's salaries.
Malawi primary school pupils have taken to the streets to protest delayed teacher’s salaries.

Police used fired rounds of teargas Wednesday to disperse hundreds of angry school pupils who took to the streets.

Teachers from primary schools around Blantyre as well as other parts of the country are boycotting work demanding their October salaries.

The teachers have been abandoning classes since last week to force government to pay them the delayed salaries.

But on Wednesday morning some pupils from Zingwangwa, Catholic Institute, Manja and surrounding primary schools  angered by continued lack of classes took it to the streets, causing traffic jam in the process.

“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.

People stood arms akimbo and mouth agape as they watched the kids pull down tree branches and blocking roads with stones, forcing vehicles to stop.

Dressed in their school uniforms, the students marched toward President Peter Mutharika’s official home in the city. Mutharika was away, attending a graduation ceremony at the University of Malawi.

About 6000 teachers under the seventh Initial Primary Teachers Education (IPTE7) and Open and Distance Learning (ODL2) have gone five months without receiving their salaries.

The teachers were employed in May but reported to their work places in June.

Acting Public Relations Officer in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Manfred Ndovi, confirmed the development.

In Blantyre Rural, 149 primary school teachers have vowed not to teach if authorities fail to pay them their dues.

Teachers  have presented a formal letter to the District Commissioner for Blantyre in which they demand their salaries.

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91 replies on “Malawi pupils protest over teachers delayed pay: Tear gas fired”

  1. Tiwakonde maziphunzitsiwa chifukwa ndi amene amatisula.Kukhala prof ndichifukwa cha aphunzitsiwo.Anawa akuziwa kufunika kwamaphunzilo ndichifukwa chake akutelo.Akondeni ana nawo ndi ufulu wawo kuphunzila.Amenewo ndi atsogoleri a mawa.

  8. If even the pupils can demonstrate it means one thing this country is run by dogs, a failed state where nothing but problems demonstrations in fighting and the best the dogs can do is to resign and let cats take over shame

  11. Ironically one of the schools that was chanting is Dharap school, the school which the current Vice President attended as a young boy

  12. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION, POOR CHILDREN THEY WALK LONG DISTANCE TO REACH TO SCHOOL ONLY TO FIND NO TEACHER. THESE CHILDREN SHOULD GO AND SIT AT SANJIKA AND MAKE NOISE THERE MAYBE SOME THING CAN HAPPEN

  13. if what I’m hearing that Escom has adjusted it’s reconnection fee to MWK10,000.00, THEN THIS IS REASON ENOUGH TO DEMONSTRATE. NYASATIMES please investigate and let us know the truth. “ZIKACHITIKA TIMAMVELA KWA INU”

    WHY TEACHERS ALL THE TIME?

    1. Who is gonna speak for us? Kapito has a big scone in his mouth. By the way, is payment of reconnection fees sanctioned by any law. Why should we pay extra money when we pay our bills. Is it some sort of a punishment. Why should I pay K10,000 on top of my K4000.00 bill. This is day light robbery. Malawians, why do we accept this nonsense? Was it written on the contract when they were connecting our water or electricity? Can somebody explain.

  14. imodzi mwa iyo mbuziyo ndi iwe charles iwe ndi abale akowo dziko likukukanikani mumadziwapo chani zakayendesedwe ka dziko.

  16. tooo much umboni wa mwana ndi owona always so ngati mwana wafika pomatcha ndiye kuti zavutadi. teachers are very important in development of any country but y malawian government do not honour them. am khuzid so very kwambiri!

  17. james liuma, you must be joking.ukuganiza ngati nkhuku, if you were the one,how could you feel. noone used them.umagwira ntchito yanji?uli ndi banja,ana umakhala pa rent?salary is a right!!!

  20. Of all the people/departments in the civil service in Malawi, why should only teachers be the victims of salary delays? Is this by negligence’s design or the leaders look at aphunzitsi as the outcastes or Dalits/Untouchables/lower-class of people as in one of the countries in Asia?

  21. Poor journalism, how can you write “they want to force government to pay their salaries”, do you really know what forcing is? This is their own Salary, and its too late for the teachers to have their salaries. Today on 19th can you say they are forcing? aaaaaah inu tachangamukani polemba zokupya.

    Ndipo anawa akaphwanya nyumba ya Pitalayo basi, mwina angamvetse. ulamuliro wobera ndichoncho. Alomweeeeh!!! Alomweeeeee! Mbuzi zimenezi.

  22. Most of you think there is a mastermind behind the kids but you are wrong!!!! If you push a dog for so long one day he will bite you. Ndiye ngati munazolowera kuponderezedwa this generation is different.

  28. Most commentators of the May 2014 General Elections have made very persuasive claims that some teachers played a significant role in the rigging exercise that allegedly took place and which resulted in the DPP “victory” . Now, isn’t it a form of poetic justice that teachers are amongst the first group of public servants to feel the effects of DPP’s mediocre leadership?

  30. this is the generation that shall never take nonsence…osati za ife zi sopo kukwela kumangoyang’ana, petulo kukwela phwiiiiiii ziiiii. cash gate ife kumadikila omweo kuti a solver generation yogona ya ngodya zinai mxiiiiiiii. mpaka ma refuges kumatipha ife basi pheeeeeeee

  34. Big up to all the school kids who took to the streets today, ndizotheka ndithu ana inu. Its good that ma demo ayambika at a time when police is underfunded nde ena tikangolowelera nde kuvutilatu.

  35. JB come back.
    malawians please see the video on youtube the one she is mandela funeral.
    you look for that video and after you people comment.
    its sad the way country is going.
    its not fair,even people pay fees and after is this.
    pay to the people they worked for the money and they need to survive,not only stilling

  36. This DPP govt should live up to its promise of business unusual. Efficiency in all ministries needs to be improved. Ministers should not wait for the Vice President’s civil service reform. What is needed is the age old combination of supervision and follow up.

    For example in the case of these delayed salaries Dr Fabiano should meet with his PS and the Director of Finance and agree on deadlines. The minister should then arrange weekly meetings where progress should be reported – any bottlenecks should then be dealt with in good time. Certainly this year we should not have the scandalous state of affairs we had last year when civil servants were sent on a long 3 week Christmas holiday – without pay!

    If DPP want to see progress they must know that in Malawi people expect to be pushed to do jobs that they are paid for. If they are not pushed they will be playing bawo, reading newspapers end to end or create non-existent illnesses or funerals. However, when clear deadlines are agreed (and penalties for failing to meet them are set out in advance) then the person involved will only be absent when it is absolutely necessary.

    Something that also needs to change is the way income generating govt departments work. It boggles the mind that a cash strapped govt can afford to turn away fee paying customers simply because it is lunch hour! I wanted to renew my CoF today but I was turned away at the Road Traffic Directorate close to 12 noon and told to come back at 1.30 pm. It boggles the mind that a cash strapped government cannot introduce a shift system like they have in banks? How long will it take for govt to be run like ‘a business’ as we were promised? An economy grows when money circulates more quickly – this is Commerce 101…

  38. M’mafuna professor ndiameneyu2! mawa muona azibale a anthu omwe ali m’manja mwa apolice akugenda galimoto za MG ndi Malawi Police!

  40. it’s my motherland but sometimes I ask myself why was I born there?You see those things later you ask why the pass rate is low.The little they get the late they are paid . Think about teachers.Recognise their good work.

  41. Munakana MCP mukuliranj? During MCP kunalibe izi. Civil Servants were paid on 27th of every month. There was no cash gate, no malonda aziwalo. A police amagwira ntchito zawo mokhulupirika. Zonsezi a Malawi amazikana. Mavuto a Malawi yakho ndi MCP..

  45. salary ya october mpaka pano,please have mercy on teachers,do we have government?THE PRESIDENT IS BUSY HAVING PARTIES WITH REPORTERS..i cry for my loving teacher you are always victims,first za m.e.c pano ndi izi..eeish

  47. But why did u break wind screens of innocent motorist? You don’t just start protesting on ur whim without getting permission from the City Assembly and Police. It is important to get permission so that motorists can be warned to use alternative routes instead of ambushing us, ndakwiya kwambili chifukwa mwandiswera galimoto! If u do this again u will b arrested and I’ll now b moving armed in order to protect my property!

  49. This happened again during JB regime. At that time I thought it was DPP fueling this. However, now I feel it is the pain the pupils feel. However, there might be some brains behind all this and it can be highly contagious!

  51. sizinati kumeneko nkuyamba chaje. Wina akomokanso ali mu office chaka chake ndi chino. A dpp apa muyenera kuvomeleza kuti zinthu zakukanikani. Mpira akamasewera wina umaoneka omphweka. Jack up APM. Akulanda boma ma pupils awo.

  54. you mean we are so blind, so deaf that we cant notice that things are not fine in this country?…. who are we waiting for to act for us!.. these primary school children?..

  56. This is a lesson to all teachers. Next time DPP bribes you to rig the election remember this. I guess the K50,000 that you were given to rig the election didn’t last long right. The school kids are definitely more reasonable than the grown ups running this lousy government

    1. @ kutambadzuka

      pathetic. palibe za president apa. the worst president Malawi has ever had. this is pure comedy of errors. banana republic

  60. The kids are doing it. Where are the adults? Too shit scared, of course. What a people we Malawians are!! While the kids go on the streets shouting “cashgate” adults tuck their tails between their legs and look in the other direction.

  61. Kodi, you leaders both in government and politics of all regimes, why don’t you respect these mothers and fathers of life in education? All regimes gone as well as present seem not to appreciate what teachers do, why? Should we be hearing about teacher salaries always, cant there be some sane leaders to acknowledge the services provided by teachers? Shupit leaders.

  62. ife timadziwa kuti DPP singathe kulamula ,kwawo nkuba basi .nde poti dziko lino lachuluka ndi mbuzi zomwezo zimakomakonda anthu otha ntchito ngati a dpp ,tingoyang’ana nanga titani.za yambika zokanika kulipira ma civil servants,collections amatulutsa a MRA ija ndalama zikupita kuti?

  63. Zimachitika after all its teachers who are not on payroll. IFMS has not registered them. Its the plan of their teachers as they are the same pupils who burnt down JB foundation last year. APM osatekeseka but you need to pay the teachers.

  65. The so called caring govt. My big foot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Effects of the K1.4B, K92B & K13B. No wonder German calls us a vessel with holes you can not pour in water.

  66. tiye nazoni mafana, munvule pitala panti, ngati munakwanitsa kuwavula amai mwado pitala chita nayeni wamathanyulayo

  68. Kodi mukamakhala osawalipira anthu ogwila ntchito mumati amadya chiyani? Amakhala potani? This is one of the reasons Malawi will be floating under cold waters of poverty! God hates this! A warning to Companies or individuals who like to practice this evil; who doesn’t pay their workers in time, curses will ever be over your heads! No progress will ever be achieved. Bravo kids!!

  70. oho! koma kumeko wina dzikoli angolipanga adopt kaya ndi amazambiki kaya sasafrika palibe kanthu bola kapena enawo ehei kunyasako

  71. In Malawi it takes little kids to protest and demand what they deserve. Adults accept mediocrity and suffer in silence. Shame

  73. While the concerns by teachers are valid, and have full merits, however it beats any sense of reasoning as a parent just HOW pupils from different schools(Primary) could coordinate themselves and behave in this manner. Who ever is orchestrating this shameful act should know they are creating Child soldiers out of these young fertile minds. This action is sprouted out of the seeds sown last Year in a similar manner when lessons were disturbed at JB foundation school in Chimwankhunda, Bt. Wise parents should talk hard to their children to avoid being used in this manner.

    1. This is a different generation!!!!. Put yourself in these kids shoes and think about there future. You are who you are now because you got some level of education!

  75. You kids blame your parents in the city of Blantyre, because they are the ones who voted for this rubbish government!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  77. Zonsezi nchifukwa cholamulira mobera mavote. Mulungu sanakondwere ndi chisankho cha pa 14 May, 2014, izi tiziona, sitinati. There will be more chaos. Tiyeni nazoni.

  78. Lets see what the learned professor and Chancellor of UNIMA will do this time around. Last time as an education minister he failed to solve the lecturers freedom saga. I hope he has eyes to see and ears to hear that Malawians are crying. Teachers want to be paid, children want to be in classes. Judicially support staff want another salary hike. What is he going to do? Remember the same teachers assisted him to ascend to power using chicken mathematics. The same teachers are not being paid. Ziliko chaka chino!! Tiyeni nazoni!!

  79. government takes teaching for granted and teachers as their fools where they can experiment everything bad.

  82. Children of poor Malawians in the streets while those from well to do families were in class because they are in private schools. The gap between the rich and the poor shall continue to widen

  84. Ana inu ingotengani boma mutilamulire. We will be better off under your leadership than under these cartoons

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