Minister accused of coup plot as tempers flare

via Minister accused of coup plot as tempers flare February 14, 2014 Zimbabwe Independent

FORMER ZBC board member, retired Brigadier-General Benjamin Mabenge says Information minister Jonathan Moyo is using the anti-corruption campaign and salaries scandal revelations to create conditions of anarchy to help himself and his clique to march to State House.

This comes as Moyo yesterday rejected Mabenge’s allegations amid indications that government will intervene to rein in the controversial war veteran who is said to be still interfering in ZBC matters despite the dismissal of the public broadcaster’s board accused of presiding over the rot at Pockets Hill.

“The whole purpose of this attack is to create such tension as to induce mutinous riots as a way of marching to State House. I just hope the party leadership sees through this and finds a solution, no matter how harsh it would be,” he said. “What he is trying to do is to incite a coup. But all I can say is that there is no chance of anybody in the military coming on board. It is common knowledge that we have the most professional military force.”

However, Moyo rejected the accusations saying his ministry will continue doing its job “without fear or favour”.

A number of Zimbabwe’s 78 public enterprises, 32 municipalities and 60 rural district councils are in a mess after being run down through extended periods of mismanagement and plundering.

“The Office of the President and Cabinet has received detailed information from the relevant line ministries on the monetary and non-monetary remunerations of CEOs of parastatals, state enterprises and local authorities,” a senior cabinet minister said.

“Work on the analysis and formulation of a remuneration policy framework for the posts is being finalised. It is hoped that the report will be ready for presentation to cabinet within two weeks.”

Zanu PF will today have to confront these issues during its potentially volatile extraordinary politburo meeting in Harare.

Several public enterprises have no boards while those in place are not meeting. Some boards often deliberately raise salaries of CEOs because the level of their allowances is linked to the CEO salaries. Most public enterprises do not have remuneration committees and there is weak ministerial supervision of the boards.

CEOs also have no fixed tenures and get huge salaries and dubious “consultancy fees”.