By-Unnamed government officials have reportedly ordered teachers in public schools not to wear anything yellow in colour during working hours.
Yellow is the colour adopted by the newly formed opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party led by Nelson Chamisa.
According to Progressive Teachers Association of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) officials, the directive not to wear anything yellow was communicated to teachers verbally.
Even schoolchildren have not been spared with reports suggesting that schools with yellow uniforms have been directed to abandon them and pick different colours. PTUZ National Coordinator, Harison Mudzuri, said:
It is shocking that the govt of Zimbabwe has ordered teachers NOT to wear anything yellow.
Schools with yellow uniforms have been directed to change them.
No explanation was given for these verbal directives.
PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou told Pindula News that some of their members have confirmed receiving the directive but as a union, they haven’t received anything concrete from education authorities. He said:
The decree is a nullity. It is not possible for a school to change the colour of its uniform considering that schools adopted the colour first before the formation of CCC.
Whoever made the decree may try to discourage schools from choosing the colour but that cannot be done for schools already using yellow since laws cannot be applied retrospectively.
A message has been circulating on social media platforms claiming the decree for teachers not to wear anything yellow was made during a recent meeting of school heads in Marondera, though it is not clear who gave the instruction.