White smoke at Mbuela Lodge: a happy ending guarantees a peaceful start to the new school year

The proceedings of the Joint Government-Union Commission for Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST) concluded on Thursday, July 27, 2023, on a positive note, marked by the final communiqué signed by both parties in the meeting room of Mbuela Lodge in Kisantu, in the province of Kongo-Central. Vice Minister Aminata Namasia Bazego witnessed the event on behalf of the National Executive.

This final communiqué states that the union representatives agree to ensure compliance with the school calendar to ensure a smooth start to the school year. For its part, the Government of the Republic commits to implementing the actions agreed upon during the Mbuela III conference, effective with the July 2023 payroll for teaching staff. These include: the implementation of 13,058 new units; the adjustment of teachers’ salaries and bonuses; the allocation of operating costs for primary schools and administrative offices; the restructuring of primary school facilities; the readjustment of the free education allowance; and the payment of inspectors and support staff of the General Inspectorate of Primary and Secondary Education (EPST). The total budget to cover all these priority actions amounts to 24,792,722,053 Congolese francs.

The national government has also committed to substantially adjusting the institutional allowance for staff and managers in the central services of the General Secretariat of the EPST, not to mention the standardization of the payroll management allowance.

This smooth resolution was predicted by the Minister of EPST during the official launch of the negotiations on Friday, November 17, 2023. Professor Tony Mwaba had promised a happy ending on behalf of the government, and today it has been achieved.

"In light of the fulfillment of the Government of the Republic’s commitments regarding the payment of July 2023 salaries, incorporating all actions agreed upon with the EPST Union Bench, the EPST Teachers’ Union Alliance assures the Government of the Republic of its commitment to effectively contribute to a peaceful start to the 2023-2024 school year across the entire national territory,” declared Godefroid Matondo.

The spokesperson for the Intersyndicale of EPST Teachers’ Unions also paid a heartfelt tribute to his comrade, the union activist Emery Masunga, who fell with his weapon in hand on the front lines while defending teachers’ rights in the interest of students, after passing away following a sudden illness. He promised that the union family would never forget him and that from now on, he would be remembered as a great fighter and defender of teachers’ rights.

Taking the floor in turn, the Deputy Minister of EPST, Aminata Namasia, who represented Minister Tony Mwaba Kazadi, first paid tribute to the memory of the brave and courageous trade unionist Emery Masunga. On behalf of the Head of State, the Head of Government, and the head of the EPST, she offered her deepest condolences to his biological and professional families in all their diversity, before respectfully asking the entire audience to stand in silence for a minute of silence.

Returning to the proceedings, the EPST’s second-in-command expressed her satisfaction with the national government’s positive response to the union members’ various concerns and placed particular emphasis on the spirit of patriotism.

"I am pleased to note that despite the difficulties imposed on us by the current economic climate, several measures have just been implemented in conjunction with the July 2023 payroll, to the great satisfaction of all teachers. I commend the strong sense of patriotism that characterized these meetings, the outcomes of which ensure a smooth start to the school year for our children. To this end, I urge you to commit your union members—who are teachers—to strictly adhere to the 2023–2024 school calendar to ensure quality education for our children, the future of tomorrow,” emphasized Aminata Namasia.

At the conclusion of her remarks, the Deputy Minister thanked all participants, both from the government and union sides, who went above and beyond to ensure the successful outcome of these meetings, now known as the "Emery Masunga" sessions. She took this opportunity to pay a heartfelt tribute to the President of the Republic, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, for his tireless efforts to improve the socio-professional conditions of Congolese teachers.

Aminata Namasia also commended the firm resolve of the government, led by Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde Kyenge, who spares no effort to consolidate the Head of State’s vision in the EPST subsector, as well as the selflessness of Minister Tony Mwaba, champion of free primary education who advocates a relentless fight against negative values in schools.

Christian BELLA