via Bonus: Revolt wary govt pays army – NewZimbabwe 03/02/2016
THE cash-strapped government will pay members of the defence forces their bonus this month and the rest of the civil service later, finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said Wednesday.
The bonuses were due in November last year, but the administration could not raise the cash and even delayed December salaries for state workers to this January.
“For the benefit of the public and other relevant stakeholders, I wish to advise that Government remains committed to honouring its 2015 bonus obligations to its employees,” the minister told state media.
“As you are already aware, Government is currently experiencing cash flow constraints, which makes it untenable to effect a bullet payment.”
Chinamasa’s decision to privilege the army will not surprise many, come as it does at a time the ruling Zanu PF is rocked by divisions which, according to President Robert Mugabe, have also spread to the security services.
An economic slump that has lasted more than a decade has adversely impacted government revenues, resulting in treasury struggling to pay salaries.
The government is notoriously wary of upsetting the security services after frustrated soldiers rioted at the height of cash shortages back in 2008.
The media has since been sternly warned against reporting on the military.
Two journalists from a privately owned daily recently arrested for reporting that the spy CIO agency was paid its bonus last year as the government panicked over the possible impact of the claim on morale in the other unpaid sections of the security establishment.
Media threats on military
Reflecting the anxiety of the administration on the issue, presidential spokesman George Charamba recently declared: “We will use other instruments to make sure you stop reporting on military issues.
“I have defended journalists as my colleagues several times, but be warned this time we will descend on you.
“We will be looking for your military sources while you are locked up at Chikurubi (Maximum Security Prison in Harare).”
Meanwhile, Chinamasa said after the army, police, the prison services and the health sector would be paid next in March.
Teachers, who make up the bulk of the civil services will get their bonuses in April and the rest of the establishment in May.
“For the benefit of the public and other relevant stakeholders, I wish to advise that Government remains committed to honouring its 2015 bonus obligations to its employees,” said the minister.
“As you are already aware, Government is currently experiencing cash flow constraints, which makes it untenable to effect a bullet payment.
“To allow room to mobilise the required resources, Government will be staggering the payment of bonuses for public servants beginning this month and until May 2016.”
Chinamasa last year tried to suspend the bonus payments until 2017, citing the lack of funds only to be publicly rebuked by President Robert Mugabe who overturned the decision.
Mugabe told the minister that he must just find the money.
The treasury chief also backtracked on plans to retrench part of the 500,000-strong civil service after being threatened by party and cabinet colleagues.
COMMENTS
There is nothing amiss on paying the army first. In the first instance, they were supposed to get their dues earlier in November 2015 and nothing has changed in that regard.
Don’t try to instigate the public to revolt against the security forces over a non-issue.
Mugabe told the minister that he must just find the money
Chinamasa Here you will find some of the loot.
One investment was a £4m Hong Kong property in a walled and gated complex where residents enjoy quiet gardens, a clubhouse and a swimming pool. The other was a multi-million-pound diamond venture she is considering launching in China. This involves locating a centre for cutting and polishing diamonds at Qingdao, on China’s east coast, in conjunction with Zimbabwe’s central bank, which is notorious for funding her extravagant travels abroad.
Induna Chinamasa talk to Butcher Bob and Butcher Grace about a loan.
The purpose of paying the gun men a bonus three months over due is to try to appease and avoid coup. How long will you survive military men by getting your monies so late and so little when the man you are duty fully protecting does not care about you. Cause of the failing in Zimbabwe.
1. The political risk in Zimbabwe is just way above the normal risk obtained in other countries, risk of nationalization, risk of ZANU PF thugs coming and demanding bribes in the name of youth or whatever empowerment, risk of ZANU PF interfering in the governance, impossing who should be CEO and directors etc
2. None existence of adequate policies that protect investment to allow FDI
3. Angry citizen who may at the whim of ZANU PF wake up and overthrow the or burn the investment over little or selfish motives of the politicians like what happened to Makro when Jocelyne Chiwenga stirred the war veterans to came and ride the Makro stocks, that rsik still exist, or what happened to Zvishabane and Mashaba Mines, one little fallout with Mawere cause great rift in policy over the right issues and citizenry.
4. General dilapidation of the infrastructure, roads, buildings, low power supply and inefficient road net work, the ZRP and ZANU PF have literally taken over transport network to facilitate their taxis and trucks to move freely, these are uneconomic since most of them are ex Japaneses vehicle which are ancient but operating on false or tempered life span or mileage.
5. Lack of skilled and experienced men power, after the 2000 elections which were rigged in favor of ZANU PF most professionals and skilled artisans and other professionals left the country, now the country is full of chancres who are after grabbing what ever they can lay hands on, this result in extreme high labor cost, CEO earning $230000 that translate to the highest salary in the world compared to the performance of the country’s economy. No investor is willing to participate in such a country.
6. The extreme corruption of ZANU PF ministers, for any FDI deal there has to be a kick back for the entire cabinet since there is to much red tape in the country.
7. ZANU PF and the presidency have literally taken over as the sole shareholders of the industries and these do not pay taxes, so there is no money fore government virtually to support any of the country’s parastatals, which also have been used by the ZANU PF and presidency as vehicles of stealing from the ficus, money would go from treasury to these parastatals and then they will donate the funds to individual ministers or presidency as birthdays or funding functions or trips or acquire assets for them like the the Agrarian reform where GMB was buying fertilizers and giving ZANU PF and the rest of them as inputs, they never paid back a cent, some would even sell rotten grain or buy grain at subsidized price and resale to the GMB and came and buy and resell it and on and on. Or what happened in quasi fiscal deals RBZ buying equipment and giving it ZANU PF and presidency. Now that debt has been taken over by the state.Obviously this debt belongs to someone, why is that person not asked to pay back. the fact is that is robbery through the parastatals money taken straight from treasury. RBZ has records of beneficiaries, they benefited as individuals and not as state
There could be more, but i limit them here.