via Robert Mugabe demands pay rise after daughter’s expensive wedding – Telegraph By Peta Thornycroft, 17 Mar 2014
After blowing about £3 million on his daughter’s wedding earlier this month, Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe says he wants a pay rise
President Robert Mugabe, 90, who most Zimbabweans believe will die in office, told public service workers that he is holding out for a pay increase next month.
So far, Mr Mugabe’s Zanu PF government has not managed to deliver on his election pledge last July to double the wages of 200 000 civil servants, most of whom earn about £200 a month.
Zimbabwe is bankrupt and several economists privately say they expect the government will not be able to pay civil servants on time, if at all, later this year.
The financial crisis worsened when people withdrew most of their savings from banks after Mr Mugabe won disputed elections last year.
Zimbabweans estimated during the unity government of Zanu PF and the Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, that Mr Mugabe’s salary could have been about £5000 per month, given that cabinet ministers earned about £2000.
Mr Mugabe can, legally, take whatever he wants from the treasury for foreign visits and does not have to account for that money.
For the last 20 years he has travelled outside of Zimbabwe about once a month, sometimes more.
During the inclusive government, Tendai Biti, MDC finance minister, warned Mr Mugabe to control spending on foreign travel as he tried to rebuild the economy devastated by hyper-inflation during the previous Zanu PF administration.
Mr Mugabe has accumulated vast wealth in the last 20 years, particularly since he married his second wife, Grace.
They are Zimbabwe’s largest landowners and most of their agricultural properties were taken from productive white farmers during the post 2000 land grab.
Mr Mugabe was in Singapore for his 90th birthday on February 22, and so a group of civil servants held a delayed luncheon for him last week.
He warned the treasury against pulling an April Fool’s joke on him after finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said pay increases would come next month.
“We’re promised that we would get the money in April,” Mr Mugabe said.
“I was talking to (Public Service Commission chairman) Mariyawanda Nzuwah who is close to Chinamasa and he assured me that we would be paid.
“Even the President is also a worker – 1st of April don’t fool us.”
Mr Mugabe’s oldest child, Bona, 24, married a local man, Simba Chikore, 37, at the family’s vast palatial Harare home earlier this month with a guest list which included several African heads of state and about 4,000 guests. The newly weds are on honeymoon in the Seychelles.
COMMENTS
idiot doesn’t need a pay rise because he just steals what he wants
He hasn’t had needed a pay-rise in 40 years, he’s just taken Great Zimbabwe’s wealth and created the Zimbabwe Ruins!
Yeah, that’s just silly. It’s not an April Fool’s joke, but my guess is that either it’s a failed attempt at humor, or an attempt to direct attention away from himself regarding the lack of campaign promise-keeping and make it someone else’s fault… doesn’t make a lick of sense otherwise.
The old man is neither funny nor wise… he’s just an old despot who conned a lot of folks so he could steal a lot of money.
The Mugabe’s have siphoned off not millions but billions which after their demise will hopefully be returned to the people of Zimbabwe.
I do not understand why Zimbabweans just accept what is happening to them.Do they not care about the future for their children or are they happy to wallow in abject poverty?
They (Zimbabweans) value their lives and the well being of their families. ZPF is ruthless and not answerable to the laws of the land.
SOME CORRUPT SPONSOR!
This is what passes for humour in this turkey. Hey Bob you are a real comedian. If you are not careful somebody might actually laugh
this gafoon
Let him use the extra buck to hire a fashion consultant.. these outfits he wears when campaigning – ouch .. but maybe they are…. mmm Zvimba chic ??
Is it appropriate to joke about this Mr Mugabe?!! Good heavens how insensitive!
Bee…..are you serious…. Mugabe is a joke. That’s if you find theft, dishonesty and murder funny topics.
Hey people, this ‘Bee’ or Beetle, just rolled the rock away and crawled out, don’t you know!
Parangeta and Dubbo Zimbo you misunderstood me. I did not mean is it appropriate to joke about Mr Mugabe – I meant it as a question to Mr Mugabe – Is it okay to joke about salary increases saying that he needs one, when quite clearly he doesn’t!!
You don’t need pay rise. One foreign trip will give $500 000.00 so what extra money do you need. A Worker can not host a $3 000 000.00 wedding Mr. Mugabe and a normal worker retires at 65-what type of worker are you.
Kudada kwevari mugomo kukumbira vari pasi maphihwa.
It is simply a matter of time all unearned national assets will be removed from the hands of greedy usurpers and restored to the state.
The only pay he should get is an exit package and he does not deserve that either.
How many comedians are out of work Bob The Sod. Your comments were not funny and not clever. Does anyone need more proof that this country is headed by a bunch of goons.