Zimbabwean civil servants 'will be paid when there is money'

Civil servants in Zimbabwe will only be paid their monthly salaries when the government has money, not on a fixed date, Public Service Minister Prisca Mupfumira has said.

The announcement is the latest sign of the worsening economic crisis in the southern African state, and the fact that President Robert Mugabe's government has little money coming in.

Ms Mupfumira statement has renewed anxiety among civil servants and could trigger a new wave of protests.

The government has in recent months even struggled to pay soldiers and policemen, even though Mr Mugabe relies heavily on them to remain in power.

The 92-year-old has ruled since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980.