via No money to pay fees for diplomats’ kids 18/01/2014 NehandaRadio
THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned that it might fail to pay school fees for children of diplomats stationed abroad because of the lack of funds.
Joey Bimha, secretary for Foreign Affairs, told a post-budget meeting held last week that the $63.8 million allocated to the Ministry in the country’s 2014 budget was well short of requirements.
Zimbabwe was actually in arrears in terms of payment of salaries and school fees for children of diplomats at the various embassies with officials forced to use their resources.
“The underfunding of the goods and services vote is going to reduce my ministry’s ability to provide training to our staff, holding of joint commissions and most important, provision of school fees for foreign service officers’ children attending school in Zimbabwe,” Bimha said.
“The ministry’s plant and machinery, office equipment and the general buildings outlook have suffered years of neglect due to lack of inadequate funding.”
Bimha said the ministry was the face of Zimbabwe and it was, therefore, paramount that it portrayed a good image to the international community.
In the past, foreign missions have faced financial constraints due to lack of under-funding by the government with some ambassadors reportedly not having vehicles for their missions.
“Over the last 10 years we have never increased salaries of our diplomats because of the problems we are facing. We have never paid them any bonuses because the situation we are in does not warrant that,” Bimha said.
“We are running an expensive bill in maintaining vehicles because most of them are old. I was ambassador in France between 1995 and 2000 and had a new car bought for me in 1996 and it is the same car that the current ambassador is still using. It has become a hazard.”
“In the year that Zimbabwe will host the regional SADC Summit, the image of the ministry needs to be representative of who we are, not as a ministry, but as the country,” Bimha said.
COMMENTS
No pity here for the bogus diplomats whose real job is money laundering with impunity immunity for zanupf. 47 embassies??????? Incredible unbelievable joke!!!!!!!! No mercy. Apart from UK USA brusselsEU zumaland botswana Zambia mossiebique close the nonsence down and pay beam education fees for our suffering kids. Start off with rubbish Tokyo cuba Nigeria equatorial guinea Angola singapore malaysia Russia Senegal sudans tanzania drc Congo Ghana ethiopia Serbia Libya Algeria nicaragua china Egypt swaziland Lesotho Cameroon Togo Iran syria venezuela jamaica Pakistan etc etc. We can keep Canada new Zealand India Brazil Australia France Germany italy
I weep crocodile tears as I jump for joy. Thousands upon thousands of parents inside Zimbabwe cannot afford to pay to send their children to school but the media remains silent because the povo don’t matter? It seems the the only news worth reporting in the media is at diplomat level?
If Zimbabweans can’t afford to educate their children, why on God’s earth should any of us feel sorry for diplomats. Are they more equal than the povo?
How about reallocating the 2014 Budget away from the digusting amount allocated to the military and put it into education!!!
39 of these missions bring no advantage to us. They only provide jobs for zanupf children wives relatives and for cio to spy on the diaspora and to act as a conduit for stolen loot plundered. We want education health not bogus prestige projects. Treason is punishable by death zanoids. Remember that. Our snakepit beckons
The cake is shrinking faster than we thought.
I think what you’ve described does represent who you (zimbabwe) are…………destitute, corrupt, stupid, incompetent, racist indigenous imbeciles.Your foreign embassies reflect perfectly the capability of black africans to ‘manage’a sophisticated economy!
Keep it up……..you’re nearly there. (to hell that is)
There you go. Charlie you need to take your doctors advice. Please man take your MEDS.
You a bitter man Charlie. Lost a farm or two did you? Be reminded we are good people who have been unfortunate to be saddled with a corrupt government. If you stop with the vitriole towards tha majority and stop painting us with same brush, join our fight you might return to the land that you clearly love. Yes under all that you want to .Don’t deny it Charlie.
Good point Lucy. No room for racism in Zimbabwe – but remember that Mugabe and the zanoids are racist – and that needs to be dealt with too.
You complain of a car made in 1996 when most of us drive cars manufactured in 1973 on these potholed roads.If you are a good drive in France that car should last twice longer compared to the same car driven here because they have A1 roads.The declining economy will teach these people what the ordinary people within Zimbabwe are experiencing on daily basis.
Oh my Jack I thought you were joking. Are you Charlie’s Doctor?
A big nooooooo.
I might be able to help with that. Charlie I know that you feel lost because of what you lost. You one of the people that caused this problem. Zimbabweans are trying to converse here and you keep on striking out. It people like you that are giving white Zimbabweans a bad name. But don’t worry. We don’t worry about people like you. Because we got Zimbabweans of all colours on our side. You need to heed Jacks advice and take your Medication because Charlie with the kind of hate you have you are very sick.
TALKWABWEANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
You still think change can be peaceful.?????????????????
Guess I’m missing something here : New 4 x 4 luxury vehicles for all the cabinet ministers, extravagant party for the President’s last birthday party, yet the Zim Government cannot meet its overseas commitments. Welcome to Bongo Bongo Land !!!
I would have thought by now Mugabe would have stopped these extravagant birthday celebrations for a more modest private family gathering like we all do. He could salvage some respect if he instead asked for donations to be made to the local authorities to pay fees for the children considering how many children will be out of school this year.Guess I was wrong the man still likes to blow out candles and stuff his face with cake. I doubt very much that his wife would even consider suggesting it.
Suddenly most of the comments above are about Charlie Cochrane’s comment!!! He only says the truth, but it appears to hurt some people. Doctor do Little, whites already have a bad name anyway, so what does it matter for Charlie to say the truth. And Lucy lets not be mistaken, we all in the same boat, but Zimbabwe is screwed, and we may not be responsible for it. Zimbabweans could have had an uprising,(like the Arabs) but no they sit on there backsides and wish for better days. Wow does that hurt!!
You r a fool FOOL
Lucy, Mugabe’s addiction to power and personality cult status is such that he would never give consideration to cutting down his own expenses. Remember how in 2008 the birthday bash still happened even when people were dying of cholera. The man is clearly heartless.
As far as the diplomats’ children are concerned, surely they could go to our own universities and schools whose fee levels are a miniscule percentage of foreign ones. Poor people send their children to government schools and that is what the diplomats should do.
Alternatively, Bimha could go to the President, cap in hand, and ask for a cut of his $206 million allocation. After all Mugabe is a sucker for creating a good impression.
Its actually quite hilarious that Bimha is worried about putting up appearances for a SADC conference. I wonder how he is going to deal with the potholes, water shortages, power cuts beggars on our streets and corrupt traffic police officers.
Richard … all that hate ….which whites are you talking about? White Zimbabweans, those that chose to stay, and those that support the Zimbabwe cricket team AND CHRISTY COVENTRY at the Olympics those my friend are the true Zimbabweans.
I will repeat Charlie’s hatred
I think what you’ve described does represent who you (zimbabwe) are…………destitute, corrupt, stupid, incompetent, racist indigenous imbeciles.Your foreign embassies reflect perfectly the capability of black africans to ‘manage’a sophisticated economy!
Keep it up……..you’re nearly there. (to hell that is)
Doc he is off his meds PLEASE FORGIVE HIM FOR HE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING.
More of HE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE SAYS. For all of you Shonas and Ndebeles and White Zimbabweans please see what hate does.
These same diplomats come here every year for the zanu pf conference and who pays for the travell expenses? Zanu pf chairman for manicaland is a diplomat in China and who pays for his travel expenses from China to manicaland in Zimbabwe to attend Zanu pf business and meetings in manicaland. The taxe payer cannot fund zanu pf business. Bimha-there is no need for this money
The budget allocated is more than enough, in fact 25% of that is enough- lets cut on all areas including diplomats families, they must use local government schools like the majority citizens of Zimbabwe and only the working horse must remain, its like a soldier on a mission- he goes by himself and come back after every three months- its normal- the issue of conjure rights is a reflection of lack of seriousness on assignment- you can do without it.If they cannot not replace them with others who are willing to sacrifice for the country- plenty are looking for those opportunities to save- even a 10% of their current package. A 1996 model is not very old car.
Do we need diplomats in some countries like “imperialist Britain, America, France or Germany”? Even the Japanese truly do we need those who support illegal sanctions on our milk and honey producing land? Why cant we cut the numbers and maintain diplomats in the AU member states only? In South Afrcia we have good ambassadors from Julius Malema’s grouping. We do not need imperialist luxuries really do we?
Or let us just come to our senses and start defining words and actions as the rest of the world does. How do those embassies help our people? One is justified in concluding that they are only facilitating looting of minerals and ivory.
What an excellent idea Bazur Wa KuMuzi!!
These ZanuPF need to wake up and bring our diplomats home.
We should only have diplomats in Africa and China. We are a colony of China and we must help China colonise the rest of Africa so we can be free like North Korea
Its just taking it the Jabulani Sibanda and other Zanupf zealots way Mpunzi but seriously speaking it is real good news to hear that the looters offsprings are not having it as they would love. Only cleverer one like Mdudla Obert Mpofu and a few others are drinking that “milk” and eating the “honey”. For the rest it could be just caps, ntsarus and chinese best-before-wear maphathaphathas.
Hey Doctor Do Little, I am NOT the enemy here. Your comment has no merit because you have no idea about me and my patriotism to Zim.
I was born here 60 years ago and have been a true Zimbabwean. Your comments are full of hate. Ar#$%ole