Low turnout for civil servants demo

Zimbabwe civil servants have staged a demonstration in Harare demanding Parliament not pass the recently announced Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review statement before it adjusts their salaries if it is still committed to improving their welfare.

Despite a low turnout for the planned demonstration, civil servants gathered at the Harare Gardens and marched towards the offices of Finance Minister Tendai Biti, before proceeding to Parliament in a move aimed at compelling government to seriously consider a salary review for them.

At Minister Biti's offices, civil servants representatives entered the building to hand over a petition to the Minister.

However, Biti was not in the office and they left the petition under his door.

The government workers expressed anger at Biti, claiming his absence from his offices was an indication that he has no respect for civil servants.

"We are not happy, we planned to have a peaceful demonstration but we are now being treated as rebels by the Minister who has failed to consider our salaries reviews," said one demonstrator.

The demonstrating procession then went to Parliament where the workers handed over a petition to the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Lovemore Moyo.

Since the beginning of the year, civil servants together with the Ministry of Public Service have been going in and out of meetings which have yielded nothing but slight adjustments in their allowances.