via Zimbabwe Economic Decline Worries Tsvangirai MDC by Irwin Chifera 16.01.2014 VOAZimbabwe
Information shadow minister Nelson Chamisa told Studio 7 after the five-hour meeting chaired by party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, that the problems affecting the country such as the liquidity crunch, company closures and retrenchments were a result of what the party says was a stolen election which can only be resolved through fresh elections.
He also said by failing to pay civil servants salaries above the poverty datum line estimated at between $540 and $560 for an urban family of six, the government does not care about its workers’ welfare.
Government and its workers are locked in salary negotiations with unions on Wednesday rejecting an offer of a minimum monthly payment of $500 for the lowest paid civil servant. The two sides meet again Friday as negotiations continue.
The meeting, Chamisa said, noted that it was unacceptable for government to fail to pay fees for more than one million children as well as its failure to provide safety nets for struggling war veterans, the elderly, those living with disabilities and the poor.
Chamisa said the meeting urged government to provide social safety nets to cushion the needy and the poor.
He said the MDC-T shadow cabinet meeting also urged the government to decisively deal with corruption, saying the rot in state companies and quasi government departments is unacceptable.
The MDC-T spokesman said President Robert Mugabe, who has come out in the open and attacked some of his officials for being corrupt, must walk the talk and prosecute those perpetuating graft.
Studio 7 was unable to get comment from Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Jonathan Moyo.
Cabinet has not yet met this year as President Mugabe, who chairs the meetings, is still on his annual leave.
Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo could also not be reached for comment. The person who answered his mobile phone said he was in a meeting.
COMMENTS
I’m sick and tired of reading all the negative news about Zimbabwe and the disturbing alarmist attitude. With all due respect, MDC T and other opposition parties had the mandate to fix the problem but instead they were spending valuable time bickering, competing and lining their own pockets with the new-found easy wealth from state coffers. If you do not have workable solutions to the issues facing our beloved country, keep your comments to yourself and let others work for a better Zimbabwe. We all do not need to be reminded everyday what is wrong with the governance, economy, social, economic situation in Zim, we need SOLUTIONS. We have very educated citizens (me included) with excellent analytical skills but perhaps we should be seeking practical skills to deal with our predicament. Zimbabwe boasts of th emost educated cabinet but what good is it if we cannot solve simple challenges? It is time we changed our tune and exercise humility to engage those that can assist regardless of their political orientation. What critics are doing is likened to the pot calling the kettle black!
This is a test.
@Murombo. Solutions are very very very simple, everyone knows them, (from benzi rema bhinhi to the highest office in the land) but the problem those who have the power to implement the solutions do not want (or most probably they dont know and worse they may even not know that they dont know). A dangerous person is one who thinks he knows yet they do not know.
Elections, Chiadzwa, ZBC, NRZ, Mechanisation debt, banks, offshore deposits, farming, the list is endless.
Solution: Proper management of everything.
I think you need to review recent history a little more critically. Yes the MDC had a mandate, but Mbeki and Mugabe conspired to prevent Tsvangirai from ever exercising that mandate, or having any real power in the GNU. Five years were wasted while Mugabe slipped around Morgan’s good intentions to steal the next elections, with a lot of help from the diamonds of Merange and an Israeli company called Nikov.
For five years the MDC tried to get Mugabe to do what he had promised to do, in writing. But we all know that Mugabe does not respect written agreements and simply does what he wishes. Look at the way he’s already ignoring the new constitution, and the ink’s barely dry! Six months after he “won” the elections, nothing’s changed for the better. In fact, it’s gotten a lot worse and will get much, much worse before it gets any better. 2007/2008 could seem like good times when the worst is finally over this time.
Mbeki and Mugabe connived to keep the status quo of poverty, Deindustrialisation, agricultural revolution Kampuchean style and ZPF dictatorship. MDC was excluded from Govt during the GNU. Now the results are there for all to see. All poor countries need foreign direct investment FDI and not Zim Asset for development.
As an ex MDC supporter they make me sick.They keep telling us what the problems are but for five odd years they kept supporting the GNU and were so gullible and busy enriching themselves they kept chugging along with the ZANU idiots.Dont blame Mbeki and Mugabe.MDC was just too stupid to realise they were being taken for a huge ride.How many times must you fools fall for the same old b……t stories?