By Own Correspondent

Teachers unions have vowed to resist government machinations to force them to invigilate end of year exams if they are not going to be paid for the services.

 The leading teachers unions have vowed to press ahead with the industrial action with the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz), the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), the Zimbabwe National Teachers Union (Zinatu) and the Educators Union of Zimbabwe (EUZ) have declared that their members would not invigilate if government was not going to pay them for the service.

The developments come against a background where teachers have vowed to down tools and not invigilate the ZIMSEC November examinations over poor remuneration.

But in a recent statement , the Ministry’s spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro said value shall be placed on educators who instead draw satisfaction from rendering services to the community.

Ndoro said that withdrawal of invigilating services by teachers had no impact as “anyone” could invigilate the examinations.

“We value all teachers who will not boycott invigilation as they are cognisant that their reward for the service is the happiness and satisfaction they will derive in being recognised by their learners even years after they benefited from their teaching and invigilation.

“These two aspects — delight and recognition — are possible only if teachers are committed to their profession at a level that is beyond the influence of remuneration,” he said.

The remarks which are likely to rile the country’s workers come at a time when top government officials have made headlines of squandering thousands of dollars on self –fulfilling luxuries in the midst of poverty.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on record for flying out on expensive chartered planes during his foreign trips , where he immerses himself with expensive whisky but returns home without anything to show.