HUNDREDS of school leavers seeking temporary teaching posts in Matabeleland North descended on Lupane Centre on Tuesday as the Civil Service Commission (CSC) began a recruitment exercise ahead of the second term that starts next Tuesday.
NQOBILE BHBEHE/BENSON DUBE
CSC is successor to the Public Service Commission and has assumed responsibility over the administration of the country’s civil service, including the recruitment of teachers as stated in the new Constitution.
Early this year, the commission announced that eligible applicants for teaching posts would be college and university graduates with teaching and non-teaching diplomas and degrees, retired personnel, reappointed teachers aged below 50, Ordinary and Advanced level holders.
The job seekers were a mixture, of youths, retired soldiers, police officers, ex-teachers and unemployed nurses.
Several job seekers, who were drawn from Hwange, Jotsholo, Bulawayo and as far as the Midlands province, said they were not worried about the state of infrastructure in most schools in the province because they were desperate for jobs.
Gugu Ndlovu said she qualified as a nurse in June last year, but was battling to secure a job and now wanted to try teaching.
“I did not get a nursing post after graduating and teaching is my fall back,” she said.
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“However, it’s difficult to secure a place as it seems preference is given to those already in the system with teaching experience.
“I came here on Monday thinking that the recruitment process was a day’s event, but today (Tuesday) I am here still wearing the same clothes and waiting for my turn,” she said.
“I cannot give up as life is tough without employment. I thought employment was guaranteed after completing training, but that was not the case hence am now resorting to teaching.”
Another job seeker, Nelson Siwela, is a former policeman who left the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) at the height of the economic problems.
“I resigned from the ZRP at the height of the cash crisis and went to South Africa to get better employment. I worked as a security guard using my cousin’s documents,” he said.
“But life there was harsh as accommodation was a problem. That forced me to return home last year. I tried to enrol at one of the teacher training colleges, but tuition fees were a stumbling block.
“I also need money for my family hence I am here in Lupane trying to get a temporary teaching post to earn a living.”
Sazini Dlodlo, a qualified teacher who was among the job seekers, said she left the country in 2007 for South Africa where she taught at private colleges.
However, she found life in the neighbouring country tough and decided to return home this year.
“Life in South Africa was tough,” she said.
“I came back home and re-applied for a post as a teacher, but I was turned away with officials citing that I resigned.
“Surprisingly, preference was given to those who left without notice and I find this unfair.”
CSC officials were not at liberty to divulge the number of teaching posts available in the province.
Job seekers said preference was given to degreed applicants, followed by those seeking to renew their first term contracts, former teachers and Advanced and Ordinary Level holders with Mathematics.
Zimbabwe employs about 97 000 teachers against a demand of 111 000 and relies heavily on temporary teachers.
