Fresh revelations have it that some communities in the northern part of Malawi have ganged up to chase teachers from official houses.
Some teachers in Nkhatabay have confirmed receiving eviction notices from their respective school management committees.
“They gave us until Monday to resume work or leave their houses,” said Gregory Msukwa, teacher at Tiwanda primary school in the district.
At Tchesamu primary school, the same district, Mercy Banda, a teacher, also confirmed receiving similar notifications from the school governing bodies.
“My hands are tied. Unfortunately, we’ve no rented houses this side. The eviction would infer chasing me out of their community,” she said.
In Mzimba, Ethongeni area, a teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity, confided in our reporter that they have, at their school, until Monday, to resume work or face eviction from the community.
Similar stories are shared by teachers in Rumphi, Karonga and parts of Chitipa.
“We’ve already been kicked out of their houses,” said Teresa Soko, teacher in Karonga.
The drama follows the standoff between teachers and government regarding issues of risk allowances.
Teachers have been staying away from their duties to pressurize government to consider giving them risk allowances citing they’ll be discharging duties in a risky environment.
Nonetheless, government insists that such demands are ungrounded and risky to the country’s economy.
Roughly, government would spend over MK10 billion if every teacher would get MK105,000 as a once off payment as agreed during a meeting the teachers union body, TUM had with the parliamentary committee on education.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that government has decided to seek legal redress on the continued strike by teachers.
TUM, on the other hand, insists, it will not bow down to any form of pressure till government give teachers the money.
