POLICE on Tuesday blocked teachers from southern Africa from holding a march to celebrate the success of their regional sporting activities held in Bulawayo.
The Association of Non-Aligned Teachers Union of Southern Africa (Antusa) held its annual sporting activities from April 17 to 20.
Antusa is a teachers’ organisation with members from Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) spokesperson Peter Machenjera, told Southern Eye that police blocked their celebrations.
“We wrote to the police seeking permission to have an official march to mark our presence in Bulawayo from Fazak shopping centre to Hillside Teachers College, a stretch of five hundred to seven hundred metres,” Machenjera said.
“But they denied us that chance to march and market ourselves just to mark our presence in Hillside.”
Machenjera decried government's failure to support Antusa games.
“As PTUZ we wrote to government seeking assistance with transport. Remember we have got the Public Service Commission (PSC) buses but we received no response from government,” Machenjera said.
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“We even wrote to government asking for financial assistance to host the games and there was no response as well.”
No comment could be obtained from Bulawayo police.
Primary and Secondary Education minister, Torerai Moyo, who officially opened the event in Bulawayo on Saturday, however, praised PTUZ for hosting the event.
“Antusa games foster camaraderie among nations, promoting understanding and respect through the universal language of sport," Moyo said.
"As we cheer for our teams and celebrate their achievements, let us embrace the values of collaboration and mutual support that these games embody,” said Moyo in a speech.
The Antusa competitions were held under the theme: Building bridges among Sadc teachers and growing together.
