via Govt risks army unrest over pay delay 23/03/2014 NewZimbabwe
MORALE is reportedly at its lowest among the country’s security services after the cash-strapped government postponed their pay date.
The last time Zimbabwe faced the threat of unrest from the normally patient and disciplined security services was at the height of the country’s economic crisis in 2008 when soldiers rioted in Harare after becoming frustrated with queuing to withdraw cash from banks.
The government admits it is facing serious financial constraints with the country’s economy showing no sign of any positive impetus from President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party’s emphatic victory in last July’s polls.
The textile, farming, mining, construction, printing and retail sectors have been hit hard by company closures and downsizings, which caused by, among other things, poor power supplies, dwindling markets, and lack of capital to invest in new technologies and machinery.
The company closures have hit the government’s tax revenues, at a time little meaningful support is coming through from international development partners.
While campaigning for re-election last year, Mugabe vowed to double the salaries of State workers, a promise his Zanu PF government has failed to meet so far.
And, as the cash constraints appear to worsen, government last week changed pay dates for civil servants from the 21st of March to the 27th, citing inadequate finances.
The development appears to have riled rank and file members of the security forces with some threatening to stage protests in what could represent a threat to the country’s peace and stability.
Disquiet has been reported at the army’s KGVI base in the capital, the ZRP head offices at Morris Depot as well as in the prison services.
Security services officers, who are not allowed to go on strike, told NewZimbabwe.com that they would defy the laws if government fails to give them their money.
“It has never happened in the history of Zimbabwe that pay dates of the security services are moved; this signals a disaster,” a senior police officer stationed at Morris depot told NewZimbabwe.com at the weekend.
“If this continues we have no option but to go on demonstrations; it’s that simple. We will also not arrest anyone who organises protests against the pay delays.”
A prison officer stationed at Harare Remand prison added: “They (government) wanted to get into power using us and then dumped us after they had maintained their positions.
“They promised us a salary increment and now they are backtracking not only from their promises but even from giving us the meagre salaries which we have always been paid.”
An army officer stationed at KGVI also moaned: “Last month they told us that they were going to fulfil their 2013 election campaign promises of looking into our conditions of service.
“They went further to give us some pay-slips with salary increments, only to tell us that we were going to get the money after April. They think we are fools.”
Government negotiators agreed a new pay deal with civil service unions which would be implemented in April, according to Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa
The minister was however cagey when recently challenged by opposition legislators who demanded to know whether the government would honour its pledge on salaries.
“We are not yet in April,” Chinamasa said.
President Mugabe however warned his minister to keep his word.
“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.”
Mugabe blamed the government’s cash woes on economic sanctions imposed by the West.
“We are currently going through a difficult patch as a result of the sanctions that were imposed on us,” he said.
“It is, however, just a technical delay in the mobilisation of the monies, but the promise will be honoured. It is our wish, as Government, to have all our workers adequately compensated for their hard work.”
COMMENTS
The army must take their share of the pain, after all they prop the regime. Private ZANU security good for nothing except fighting unarmed civilians.
All you soldier boys, policemen and CIO’s, must now realise that all your hard work keeping these thieves in power is for nothing. They might be able to find the money late this month but what about next month or the month after that. You must understand, THE MONEY HAS RUN OUT. You can demonstrate and strike all you like, there will still be NO MONEY. Until you get a legitimate government things are only going to get worse and worse, instead of arresting and beating the people better you go and plant vegetables and mealies to try and feed your families!
The security profession is manned by volunteers whose loyalty and commitment is not premised on money.
Yep! No repentance! No restoration! Zimbabwe is reaping what it has sowed. ZPF is reaping what it has sowed. Most of us go to church and claim to be a Christian and then go out and trample on the grace of God. We lie, we steal we cheat, we hate, we carry bitterness we are greedy, we covet etc etc and then we wonder why our nation is a mess????
The cake is getting smaller and smaller. Its the big squeeze.
The bodyguard of a thief is also a thief. Security service sector has been used by Zanu to stay in power…it is time for everyone to feel the pinch and face the stark reality of a basket case economy managed by gangsters who do not care about anybody but themselves. Zimbabwe is not at war and as such does not need such a large security service which has for years draining precious resources. Can any one in their right senses justify the size of our security services?
It is only a fool who discard a cave that offers shelter because rain has stopped.
DOCILE, THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO!
They will continue fulfiling their constitutional function of protecting Zimbabwe,its people,national security and interests and territorial integrity.
There is plenty they can do…stop supporting the Dictator and his thieves. If they all resigned pending a new government it would be a good start!
Happy to hear u idiots r yet to get your pay, now u can also feel the pain like everyone else, and u can now see why people r saying mugabe must go. But bcause oc you fools who always protect these fools zimbabweans r suffering. vamwe venyu vakuti akatatishandisa pama election, makatanga kushandiswa nezuro here? imbwa dzevanhu. mona kuti hamuchawana chioko muhomwe makutanga kuti munoena pastrike, itaika muone zvamunoitwa nekamudhara kenyu ikaka. some of u r now sei they think we r fools, yes u r fools with blinkers. makambonzwa rungano rwatsuro nemakarwe, tsuro aida kubira mhiri kwerwizi asi rwakange rwakazara zvekuti tsuro haaikwanisa kuyambuka pasina rubatsiro rwagarwe. saka tsuro akati kuna garwe, sekuru nhamba huru imi nesu ndiyani? garwe, ndisu muzukuru. handifunge kudaro sekuru, saka itai mutsara muchienda nekokoko ndikuverengei. garwe akaunganidza muri yake yese, achibva aita mutsara wanga wareha, tsuro ndokubva atanga kuverenga achitsika pamusoro pemakarwe achiyambuka, paakanga amhiri akati kuna garwe handina kumboziva kuti makawanda kudai, garwe akati mai? tsuro akati mapenzi. ndozvakafana nemi mapurisa nemauto. mboko dzevanhu.
The chickens are coming home to roost. Didn’t sanctions cause massive inflation-that is what we were told! So why no massive inflation now if sanctions are still in place according to Mugabe. I’ll tell you why-they don’t control the printing presses and can’t print money (resulting in inflation) to meet the salary bills and the daylight theft. Zanu will be forced to reintroduce the zimdollar which will be a fools errand as no one will accept it. The soldiers will go to shops with zimdolla and force the shopkeepers to accept it at gunpoint. Shops will then close and riots will ensue (maybe) The end of days is nigh.
As a daydreamer you are free to dream fantasy. Them security services of Zimbabwe are manned by men and women of unquestionable loyalty to Zimbabwe and its people.
No repentance! No restoration! If we want our nation to know restoration we need to repent before God and fix what wrong we have done to each other. Repentance means a complete U-turn. Only by the grace of God in Christ Jesus can this happen in our hard hearts. Pray for it!
They are loyal to Mugabe and no one else you fool. How loyal were they to the people of Zimbabwe when the butchered 20-30000 ‘people of Zimbabwe’ mainly in Matabeleland?
This had to come. Chinamasa must tell the truth now n not later, and be fired. Seems u r even fooling ur boss. As for army, feel what we feel. We r all Zim citizens. U will never have our sympathy, let alone support after killing our relatives in gukurahundi
Zimbabwe will remain a united nation regardless of your ill wishes.
MAKOTSI, I dont know if your comments are tongue in cheek, if not you are a brain dead fool. The guns are going to turn around very shortly and they will point at your precious Government, they will also point at idiots like you!! Once that happens all good people in this country can start to rebuild and then we will have professional security forces who owe allegience to the country not to a gang of thieving murderers.
Makotsi you clearly have te most to fear if our dreams come true. Wwho are you???
Makotsi, you are delluded! Open your eyes and see reality. You are living a dream which will shock you when you wake up one day. Mugabe can not rig the economy.
Arise bodyguards
Docile idiots.
Vana mahobho vaMugabe vachema chema! Muchasura chando gore rino. Majaira kurova macivilians propping up an unwanted regime. Manje chero iyoyo shoma yamasiigwa naBiti, Chinamasa hatombogoni kana kuibhadhara zvake. Apa they are busy lotting, leaving you high and dry! Isu titi ufara zvedu! pay dzedu dzagwinha bank account kare musi wa25 kudai!
Who cares about the gukurahundi military really? Let them riot, they are useless. All they know is oppressing and killing citizens of their own country. A bunch of devils!!
“you have destroyed your land and slain your people.” judgment is knocking at the door. be warned!
The gukurahundist regime is now eating its children and the children are devouring their parents. You reap what you sow. It’s a law of nature.
@Makotsi-How can they defend the country when they are dying from empty stomachs?Remember what happened a month or so ago when one of these soldiers did not get his pay in good time.He broke the bank’s glass door demanding his meagre pay.
Hungry soldiers are very dangerous and hard to control.People forget things easily until they happen again.
Noone was forced to join the army or any other security organisation. It’s being iresponsible to try and incite the army into mutiny over a mere pay delay. How does the nation benefit from a rogue army? Did Egypt benefit from the virtual army takeover of government?
i dont think there will be a problem as there officers will help them out by giveing them some of there pay. As they are now getting loads of money from the farms they took and are working so well what (a bunch of tossers.) May be the lower ranks think they are all going to get a free farm that they will do nothing with same as there bosses.
Zvasvika muberere re ZANU PF. Garaiwo nevamwe zvakanaka. Please pay the soldiers after all they earned the money. They are not asking for charity but for what is rightly theirs.
It’s not a secret , di looted govt is brok.
machakachaka the people that are inciting a mutiny are the ones that are not paying the soldiers. Badala AMSOCHA.
“Did Egypt benefit from the virtual army takeover of government?”
On the whole, yes. The Moslem Brotherhood government was proving to be a disaster, as expected. A military dictatorship is a lesser evil than a religious dictatorship.
It is not unlikely that Zimbabwe will be run by a military dictatorship a few years from now.
“A prison officer stationed at Harare Remand prison added: “They (government) wanted to get into power using us and then dumped us after they had maintained their positions.”
DUH…! The light finally comes on for them. With officers so naive, I think I’ll sell them my “turn-lead-into-gold” formula.
Good Grief…!!!
Mapenzi aye anongopedzera shungu ku povo. Vakomanaka kuma 5 pm mirai muna Harare Drive muvaone vari mumagonyeti anobva zambia kunge makudo hapana zvavanoita vaye kunze kwekurwa nemahwindi ne povo kupedzera tsvimbo ku ma kunguwo. Shamwari serious unombofunga kuti we are importing baboons wozoona ah masoja edu wena.