Malawi pupils protest over teachers delayed pay: Tear gas fired
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.
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.
- Video link of the protests: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=810702682304608&fref=nf
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.
Indeed teachers are not enjoy,they will remain poor.a
Za ntchito anthuni. Ana nao zikuwapweteka kani? Nazoni
Dziko lili mmanja mwa agalu
a chlo zakupwetkani kuti m’bale wnu wachedwa mbuzi. pepani kwambiri. ife tili nanu pa chisoni chimenechi
koma ndiye Mr Ibu kungokhala nkhope ngati?????????????kiki
This is just the beggining,wait and see .bolaso masten omwe aja osati Mr.Ibu wa
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
Charles u r a Stupid Fool, why clapping hands for a witch, u and the president are stupid fools.
Pitala sangakwanitse kulamula dziko ndiye kutsogoloku azilandira malipiro mboma ndi alomwe okhaokha