Negligence and Irresponsibility Must, Ipso Facto, Be Costly
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 7 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
In politics as in war, any negligence, however small, on anyone's part, is paid for in full. For, let us remember, this adage attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the politician considered one of the founding fathers of the United States, illustrates this well: “For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; for want of a horse, the rider was lost; for want of a rider, the battle was lost; for want of a battle, the kingdom was lost.” This means that in a chain of responsibility, any failing or dysfunctional link can lead to an irreversible domino effect on an entire established system. Therefore, at whatever level, responsibility must always be rigorous. Thus, following the irresponsible tragedy that occurred on Monday, August 18 of the current year, in front of the MENFP premises in Delmas 83, certain individuals should have been, ipso facto, sanctioned by paying the consequence of their thoughtlessness.
The Memorandum of Understanding between ENS and MENFP
It is worth recalling that a memorandum of understanding for the re-establishment of the education system was signed on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, between the head of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) and a member of the Board of Directors of the École Normale Supérieure (ENS). According to this agreement, the list of all graduating students from the seven study programs of this teacher training institution for the third cycle of fundamental education and secondary level must be sent to the said Ministry for the necessary steps towards their integration into the [Haitian] education system, for which they are supposed to be trained at the State's expense. This approach aimed to meet the needs for trained teaching staff within the system. These freshly certified young professionals then went to various public schools to complete a probationary training internship in their respective fields over a one-year period and to receive their letter of appointment and assignment upon receipt of an internship report drafted for this purpose and in accordance with current public administration rules. Thus, the appointment and assignment of young male and female 'normaliens' become simply the culmination of the most normal administrative formalities. Following these mechanisms, it is possible to know in advance, approximately, how many new male and female 'normaliens' will be integrated into the system each year, and even, on a larger scale, it can be said that the number to be integrated in 2035, for example, can be predicted today. Given that each year the ENS admits a stable number of students in each discipline, the number of certified individuals is more or less quantifiable a priori. Consequences of the State's Disregard for its Commitments
Nevertheless, despite all these arrangements, each graduating class, every year, finds itself obliged to “wage war” to obtain their “famous” letter of appointment, which makes them full-time or part-time civil servants, depending on the case. This is how on Friday, October 2, 2020, Grégory Saint-Hilaire, a 29-year-old graduating student, was assassinated by an agent of the General Security Unit of the National Palace (USGPN) within the very premises of the École Normale Supérieure, where he was expressing, along with his classmates, his “fed up” feeling by organizing a protest movement demanding the appointment of ENS graduating students to the civil service in accordance with the aforementioned protocol signed in May 2013 between the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training and the École Normale Supérieure. This was an enormous loss, a consequence of the irresponsibility of State leaders in general, particularly the MENFP, which constantly evades its commitment. The murder of the potential high school graduate, Wanderson ZAMY, falls within the scope of this tendency of shirking responsibility and denying commitment on the part of the said Ministry. Wanderson ZAMY's death would not have happened…
If the Ministry's authorities had been serious and inspired enough confidence, this tragedy would not have occurred, because the intern students would not have needed to organize a sit-in there, and this “trigger-happy” security agent would not have had a pretext to draw his rifle either. Furthermore, even if the interns, out of vigilance, had been found at that location demanding their letter of appointment, responsible and consistent authorities should have received them in their office to explain the progress of their case. Unfortunately, State leaders consider their office a private “sanctuary” accessible only to a tiny number of privileged individuals, while they are supposed to be there to receive and serve citizens. Yet, they choose instead to shirk responsibility by delaying instead of assuming their full responsibility. Consequently, this homicide is, quite obviously, the result of the thoughtlessness of the MENFP “authorities.” How can one explain the need to shoot at chest height at a dozen (or two, three) peaceful interns simply demanding their integration? How were they threatening to the security agents who agreed to shoot them at point-blank range? Was this a premeditated act against the interns, an act that, unfortunately, cost young Wanderson Zamy his life? In any case, it must be admitted that if the few interns had been able to meet the Minister, the latter would not have had the unfortunate occasion to meet Wanderson's parents. Are these not the consequences of the leaders' bad faith?
In a press statement published the day after the murder, the Ministry's communication office stated that it unreservedly condemned this heinous act perpetrated against young Wanderson ZAMY during a sit-in organized by about ten intern teachers in front of the central offices of the said ministry. If for only a dozen interns, one is forced to use a weapon to repress them, what if a thousand teachers were gathered in front of these premises, how would they react? In the same vein, the statement emphasized that the Minister in question, Mr. Augustin ANTOINE, after meeting the victim's parents on the morning of August 19, intended to publicly express his sincere sympathies to the family […]. We do not believe that was the most important thing to do; to demonstrate good faith, it would be better to immediately hand over the agent who drew his weapon to the police. Because this happened in plain sight of everyone. Moreover, the ministry's courtyard is covered with surveillance cameras that can allow them to see precisely who fired and under what circumstances. At least, by acting in this way, there would be no need to initiate an investigation that risks dragging on forever for such a spectacular and irresponsible homicide.
The MENFP press note concluded by recalling the need for social partners to continue using institutional mechanisms to facilitate exchanges while helping to find good solutions more quickly in the interest of the school. I wonder, perplexed, what quick/effective solutions have been found for [in the interest of] the school following the discussions initiated in December 2024? On the contrary, haven't such discussions provoked the launch of an unlimited general strike in public schools, from January 2025 to date? The Reflex of Trivializing the Lives of Peaceful Citizens from Popular Classes
It is a fact that in Haiti, the lives of poor people are worthless in the eyes of the State. It is not superfluous to recall that this is not the first time a death has been recorded in front of the central office of this Ministry, because under the tenure of Minister Joël Desrosiers JEAN-PIERRE, an agent of the Intervention Corps for Maintaining Order (CIMO), under the order of a security official for the Minister, shot Mathematics Professor Jean Filbert LOUIS at point-blank range with a tear gas canister to the head on October 17, 2010, in front of the MENFP premises on Rue Audain; this trade unionist, a member of the National Union of Male and Female 'Normaliens' of Haiti (UNNOH), was peacefully demonstrating to demand better working conditions for teachers from the State and, above all, to take necessary measures to free up school premises occupied, at the time, by survivors of the January 12, 2010 earthquake.
Ultimately, as far as I recall, at least three professionals have been killed while expressing just and legitimate demands to this ministry in less than two decades. This is enough. It must stop, and the MENFP must change its approach. For this, there must be coherent and responsible State leadership within the ministry. Justice must be rendered to Wanderson Zamy's parents!
Jean Willy BELFLEUR,
Senior 'Normalien',
Teacher-Researcher,
Pedagogue & Author
It is worth recalling that a memorandum of understanding for the re-establishment of the education system was signed on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, between the head of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) and a member of the Board of Directors of the École Normale Supérieure (ENS). According to this agreement, the list of all graduating students from the seven study programs of this teacher training institution for the third cycle of fundamental education and secondary level must be sent to the said Ministry for the necessary steps towards their integration into the [Haitian] education system, for which they are supposed to be trained at the State's expense. This approach aimed to meet the needs for trained teaching staff within the system. These freshly certified young professionals then went to various public schools to complete a probationary training internship in their respective fields over a one-year period and to receive their letter of appointment and assignment upon receipt of an internship report drafted for this purpose and in accordance with current public administration rules. Thus, the appointment and assignment of young male and female 'normaliens' become simply the culmination of the most normal administrative formalities. Following these mechanisms, it is possible to know in advance, approximately, how many new male and female 'normaliens' will be integrated into the system each year, and even, on a larger scale, it can be said that the number to be integrated in 2035, for example, can be predicted today. Given that each year the ENS admits a stable number of students in each discipline, the number of certified individuals is more or less quantifiable a priori. Consequences of the State's Disregard for its Commitments
Nevertheless, despite all these arrangements, each graduating class, every year, finds itself obliged to “wage war” to obtain their “famous” letter of appointment, which makes them full-time or part-time civil servants, depending on the case. This is how on Friday, October 2, 2020, Grégory Saint-Hilaire, a 29-year-old graduating student, was assassinated by an agent of the General Security Unit of the National Palace (USGPN) within the very premises of the École Normale Supérieure, where he was expressing, along with his classmates, his “fed up” feeling by organizing a protest movement demanding the appointment of ENS graduating students to the civil service in accordance with the aforementioned protocol signed in May 2013 between the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training and the École Normale Supérieure. This was an enormous loss, a consequence of the irresponsibility of State leaders in general, particularly the MENFP, which constantly evades its commitment. The murder of the potential high school graduate, Wanderson ZAMY, falls within the scope of this tendency of shirking responsibility and denying commitment on the part of the said Ministry. Wanderson ZAMY's death would not have happened…
If the Ministry's authorities had been serious and inspired enough confidence, this tragedy would not have occurred, because the intern students would not have needed to organize a sit-in there, and this “trigger-happy” security agent would not have had a pretext to draw his rifle either. Furthermore, even if the interns, out of vigilance, had been found at that location demanding their letter of appointment, responsible and consistent authorities should have received them in their office to explain the progress of their case. Unfortunately, State leaders consider their office a private “sanctuary” accessible only to a tiny number of privileged individuals, while they are supposed to be there to receive and serve citizens. Yet, they choose instead to shirk responsibility by delaying instead of assuming their full responsibility. Consequently, this homicide is, quite obviously, the result of the thoughtlessness of the MENFP “authorities.” How can one explain the need to shoot at chest height at a dozen (or two, three) peaceful interns simply demanding their integration? How were they threatening to the security agents who agreed to shoot them at point-blank range? Was this a premeditated act against the interns, an act that, unfortunately, cost young Wanderson Zamy his life? In any case, it must be admitted that if the few interns had been able to meet the Minister, the latter would not have had the unfortunate occasion to meet Wanderson's parents. Are these not the consequences of the leaders' bad faith?
In a press statement published the day after the murder, the Ministry's communication office stated that it unreservedly condemned this heinous act perpetrated against young Wanderson ZAMY during a sit-in organized by about ten intern teachers in front of the central offices of the said ministry. If for only a dozen interns, one is forced to use a weapon to repress them, what if a thousand teachers were gathered in front of these premises, how would they react? In the same vein, the statement emphasized that the Minister in question, Mr. Augustin ANTOINE, after meeting the victim's parents on the morning of August 19, intended to publicly express his sincere sympathies to the family […]. We do not believe that was the most important thing to do; to demonstrate good faith, it would be better to immediately hand over the agent who drew his weapon to the police. Because this happened in plain sight of everyone. Moreover, the ministry's courtyard is covered with surveillance cameras that can allow them to see precisely who fired and under what circumstances. At least, by acting in this way, there would be no need to initiate an investigation that risks dragging on forever for such a spectacular and irresponsible homicide.
The MENFP press note concluded by recalling the need for social partners to continue using institutional mechanisms to facilitate exchanges while helping to find good solutions more quickly in the interest of the school. I wonder, perplexed, what quick/effective solutions have been found for [in the interest of] the school following the discussions initiated in December 2024? On the contrary, haven't such discussions provoked the launch of an unlimited general strike in public schools, from January 2025 to date? The Reflex of Trivializing the Lives of Peaceful Citizens from Popular Classes
It is a fact that in Haiti, the lives of poor people are worthless in the eyes of the State. It is not superfluous to recall that this is not the first time a death has been recorded in front of the central office of this Ministry, because under the tenure of Minister Joël Desrosiers JEAN-PIERRE, an agent of the Intervention Corps for Maintaining Order (CIMO), under the order of a security official for the Minister, shot Mathematics Professor Jean Filbert LOUIS at point-blank range with a tear gas canister to the head on October 17, 2010, in front of the MENFP premises on Rue Audain; this trade unionist, a member of the National Union of Male and Female 'Normaliens' of Haiti (UNNOH), was peacefully demonstrating to demand better working conditions for teachers from the State and, above all, to take necessary measures to free up school premises occupied, at the time, by survivors of the January 12, 2010 earthquake.
Ultimately, as far as I recall, at least three professionals have been killed while expressing just and legitimate demands to this ministry in less than two decades. This is enough. It must stop, and the MENFP must change its approach. For this, there must be coherent and responsible State leadership within the ministry. Justice must be rendered to Wanderson Zamy's parents!
Jean Willy BELFLEUR,
Senior 'Normalien',
Teacher-Researcher,
Pedagogue & Author
