A TRAINED teacher and human rights activist, Robson Chere (40) has gone for four years without setting his eyes on his payslip after government stopped paying him and several of his colleagues.
An oracle who stands up for education rights, mostly for the rural teachers under the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of (Artuz) flagship that has clashed with government on several occasions, especially on salary issues, Chere is paying the price.
Every month, he has been forced to make tough life choices, going to take classes — his modern day “slave yard” — and trying to provide for his family when he is not on salary and ending up surviving on handouts.
Besides being arrested more than 20 times, the courts have acquitted him on several occasions and this has inspired him to remain focused on the fight for justice in the education sector in outlying rural areas.
“It’s been a challenge for me to survive without a salary for the past four years,” said Chere, who is the secretary-general for Artuz.
“What hurts me so much is the move by government to transfer me and not activate my salary, I feel it was an intended motive to frustrate me so that I quit my teaching job.”
His transfer came as a “protection crime” after he raised the issue of security threat from suspected ruling Zanu PF party members who were making life difficult for him.
“Some well-known Zanu PF politicians were always after me, threatening me. I was then transferred from Arcturus High to Chitida Secondary School in Wedza district,” he said.
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“The government just unilaterally transferred me without taking into consideration that my family resides in Goromonzi and from my school to Arcturus where my wife teaches and family resides it’s about 180km, making life even more difficult.”
He added, his voice shaking with desperation, anger and lost hope: “They have targeted me and some of our Artuz members who had their salaries ceased as well. It is a very difficult situation considering the fact that my employer has to protect me, but the employer, who is government, has been victimising me through illegal arrest, torture, detention and salary cessation, all these being done because I speak for the voiceless and I advocate for teacher wellbeing and the right to education.”
Married to a teacher, the couple is blessed with four children where the eldest is doing Form 3, while two others are in primary school.
Trained as a science teacher at Hillside Teachers Training College between 2007 and 2009, Chere has been with the government for more than 10 years and has won several awards both academic and in sporting disciplines.
“I get solace in the fact that my talent has won the battle for me silently. To date, I have achieved several science teaching and soccer coaching awards from Mashonaland East province, excelling in the teaching field,” he said.
“I was Overall Best Science teacher at Arcturus Secondary for eight consecutive years. I also received the best Science model exhibition teacher in Mashonaland East in 2015.
“These awards demonstrate that you can’t soil my name when I am fighting for justice. No one can demolish my zeal to help children for a better future with education as an empowerment tool. We must liberate them at all costs.”
According to the Artuz legal report dated December 31, 2024, some of the organisation’s members were discharged from service by government.
These include Artuz president Obert Masaraure, Gerald Tavengwa, Takemore Mhlanga, Richard Siasongwe, Edwin Mudhara, Maxwell Basiyawo, Linda Muzoremba, Tawanda Chiusiwa.
Apart from Chere, members who are not on salary but at work include Ronald Hondongwa, Hope Mangoro and Sabelo Mhlanga.
Chere dreams of getting a lump sum payment that may change his life and social status as the family’s breadwinner.
Due to teacher rights activism, Chere was transferred from Arcturus High School in Goromonzi district to Dimbe Secondary School in Svosve area, Marondera district.
He did not last in Marondera after Zanu PF politicians in the area begged for his exit before being transferred back to Arcturus High School.
Last year, government then transferred him to Wedza district, where he is currently stationed at Chitida Secondary School.
