Govt notifies NAQEZ of deregistration
By Tony Nkhoma
IT IS not your mandate to talk about President Hakainde Hichilema’s betrayal of the over 40,000 teachers he promised to move to appropriate salary brackets but has failed, Registrar of Societies has told the National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ).
The United Party for National Development (UPND), through the Registrar of Societies, wants to deregister any duly registered organisation reminding it of the lies it told the people of Zambia.
Recently, UPND media director Mark Simuuwe intimated that the ruling party would orchestrate the deregistration of the non-governmental organisation because it was allegedly usurping the role of trade unions for which it was not registered.
NAQEZ is one of the societies that have been notified of deregistration for lawfully speaking on the plight of the betrayed 40,000 teachers who have not been moved into appropriate salary brackets after sacrificing to upgrade their qualifications.
The acting Registrar of Societies has officially written a notice of deregistration to NAQEZ for speaking on behalf of the deceived teachers and others ‘offences’.
NAQEZ has been accused by the Office of the Registrar of Societies of pursuing objectives of a trade union for which it was not registered.
On April 13, 2025, NAQEZ executive director Dr Aaron Chansa said government’s betrayal had far-reaching consequences as it had left the 40,000 teachers across the country disheartened, disrespected and demoralised.
Dr Chansa called on teacher unions countrywide to begin mobilising their members in accordance with Sections 76, 77 and 78 of the Industrial and Labour Relations Act.
He said while NAQEZ understood the implications of a national strike, the action was inevitable and necessary if justice was to be delivered to the hardworking but neglected teachers.
But Dr Chansa’s advocacy for the teachers has angered the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security through the Office of the Registrar of Societies, which has now notified NAQEZ through a letter that it has started the process to deregister the non-governmental organisation.
Acting Registrar of Societies Jason Mwambazi, in a letter dated April 14, 2025 addressed to NAQEZ the secretary general, which The Mast has seen, said the decision to deregister the organisation followed complaints that it was contravening the Societies Act.
“You have diverted from your initial objectives for which you were registered and now pursue objectives of a trade union for which you were not registered,” Mwambazi said.
He said Dr Chansa had further appeared on various media platforms promoting his society as a trade union by advocating for a countrywide strike by teachers.
“You may wish to note that the objectives of your societies are limited. Arising from the objectives, it is concluded that your society does not have the mandate to operate as a trade union,” Mwambazi said.
Mwambazi said NAQEZ should not have spoken for the over 40,000 betrayed teachers because that was pursuing objectives outside its mandate.
“I, therefore, intend to cancel your certificate in accordance with section 13 (2) (b) and (3) of the Societies Act. You are given fourteen [14] days to submit reasons why your society should not be cancelled for abrogating the above provisions of the law,’’ Mwambazi said.
But NAQEZ has linked the Mwambazi’s decision to begin the process of deregistering his organisation to Sumuuwe’s recent threats, and said there was no legal basis for the cancellation of its registration certificate.
“In other words, those who allege that this society has departed from its mandate should, at the very least, provide evidence of awareness of the legal basis on which we operate and demonstrate how our activities have diverted from the said mandate ,” Dr Chansa said in response to Mwambazi’s notice to deregister NAQEZ.
In a letter dated April 23, 2025 addressed to Mr Jason Mwambazi which The Mast has seen, Dr Chansa said while it should not matter, it was on record that coincidentally, Simuuwe took to social media a few days before NAQEZ received the letter threatening to deal with the organisation for fighting for the rights of teachers.
He said reading his (Simuuwe’s) public threats on NAQEZ, it was clear that they were made without reading the constitution that governs the society.
Dr Chansa said if Simuwe had engaged NAQEZ or the Office of the Registrar of Societies, he could have avoided issuing threats that were driven by partisan considerations.
“We therefore opposed the intention to cancel NAQEZ society’s certificate of registration. Contrary to both the complaints and the Registrar of Societies Office’s understanding, NAQEZ has not departed from its mandate,” he said.
Over 40,000 teachers who upgraded their qualifications to improve their remuneration and land higher positions have been left in the cold after the UPND government reneged on its earlier promise to move them to appropriate salary scales matching their new academic status.
Chansa said the new and operational supreme law of the organisation, the constitution, now allowed NAQEZ to promote the welfare of teachers in Zambia.
Promoting involved various methods to increase public awareness, visibility, problem-solving and development.
“This is the constitution governing our activities and contains the correct objectives that we are pursuing. We therefore urge your office to dismiss the complaints from the petitioner with the contempt they deserve since they are rooted in genuine ignorance of the law that governs our activities, in this case the constitution of our society that was duly approved by your office,” Dr Chansa responded.
He said over the years, NAQEZ had realised that it was not possible to discuss quality education without attending to the plight of teachers.
“It would be unjust and unlawful for NAQEZ to be deregistered using a non-existent constitution. We have been very compliant with your office for 10 years and we have no intentions whatsoever to divert from our mandate which is sitting in your office,” Dr Chansa said.
He said there was no media appearance where NAQEZ had claimed to be a union and capable of undertaking a nationwide strike for teachers.
He said NAQEZ made the above suggestion of a legal strike because it had received overwhelming complaints from teachers about the issues of upgrades, even when the minister of finance had provided funds in the 2023 national budget for the exercise.
Dr Chansa said on three occasions President Hakainde Hichilema had given serious directives for upgrades to be effected for the affected teachers.
“But we still have thousands of teachers not yet put in appropriate salary brackets. This is making the President unpopular among teachers,” he said.
