Civil servants punished by Government - Majome says

Government is deliberately punishing civil servants by delaying to pay them, MDC-T legislator Jessie Majome has said.

Majome said this while grilling Deputy minister of Labour Tapiwanashe Matangaidze in parliament on Wednesday who said government has capacity to pay salaries.

However, paydates for July are yet not known.

Asked Majome "My question is directed to the Hon. Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services.

"Does the Government have the capacity at all to pay the thousands and thousands of State workers whose salaries have not been paid on time for the last two months as well as pensioners who have worked for this Government and for this country who have had their salaries played checkers with".

Matangaidze responded "Yes, Government does have capacity to pay the salaries for the thousands of workers,".

Majome followed that up.

"So, if Government does have the capacity to pay the thousands of civil servants that have not been paid as well as the pensioners, is it correct therefore to say that Government simply does not want to pay the salaries and is deliberately refraining from paying those salaries and wants the civil servants to suffer with their families because it does not care?" asked Majome.

Matangaidze said " Government has it on record that currently there are some cash flow challenges that it is facing but the capacity to pay is indeed there. " Right now, Government has put in place a method of paying the civil servants on a staggered basis. We are hoping in the coming few months, the situation of paying salaries on time will be regularized".

MDC-T MP Prosper Mutseyami chipped in saying 'I think it is proper for the Hon. Deputy Minister not to take this House for granted. "He has to appreciate the essence of the meaning of the oxford dictionary for the word 'capacity'.

" What does capacity mean? He cannot take this House for granted and put to the nation that Government has capacity when he goes for three to nine days, which is way beyond the pay dates that civil servants are entitled to get their salaries. Then he just stands to say Government has capacity.

" What is he talking about? He has to appreciate the importance of a Zimbabwean and the importance of telling the truth. He cannot take this House for granted but he must take this House seriously".