Mugabe, Chinamasa at loggerheads over the proposed freezing of civil servants' bonuses

OPPOSITION MDC has expressed its frustration at Governments growing policy inconsistencies saying the only policy that the ZANU PF has been consistent in and excelled at for the past three decades is patronage politics, plunder and corruption.

Government , yesterday made a dramatic u-turn on impending massive job cuts and bonus freeze for civil servants saying Cabinet long rejected the move.

Last week, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa announced that civil service would shed 25 000 jobs, reducing the workforce to 273 000 by the end of 2017 and won't be paid bonus for two years.

Salaries for ministers and senior officials would be cut by up to 20% and Zimbabwe would close some embassies abroad.

However, in a statement Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Christopher Mushohwe said Cabinet on July 12 rejected such drastic proposal.


MDC, in a statement today said the ZANU PF government has failed Zimbabweans on all these aspects and needs to go before they sink us all in their confusion.

BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT

Policy contradictions within the ZANU PF government particularly on the issue of civil servants bonuses point out to an overwhelmingly confused government which is becoming a huge threat to national security.

Once again President Mugabe and his Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa find themselves at embarrassing loggerheads over the proposed freezing of civil servants' bonuses.

This mickey- mouse business of running government as if they are running a tuckshop is completely unacceptable and we condemn it in the strongest terms. Serious policy issues such as these require serious minded people with the needs of the masses at heart. In a normal democracy these two gentlemen would tender their resignations in shame for failing the suffering masses in Zimbabwe.

Mugabe's rejection of Chinamasa's proposal to freeze civil servants bonuses is an indicator of his denial over the obvious fact that he and his cabinet have bled government's coffers dry and the simple fact that you can only eat as much as you kill.

Someone needs to tell Mugabe that no miracle money is going to fall on his lap and rescue the country from the mess he has made of the economy but only sound, credible and consistent policies by a credible government can.

With arrears amounting to $9.6 billion, it is undeniable that some radical cuts need to be made on government expenditure, starting with Mugabe's endless, pointless and costly foreign trips right down to his bloated Cabinet.

It is shocking that between themselves Chinamasa, Mugabe with the assistance of the so called experts in government, they would rather come up with feeble measures that will see only the little people suffer instead of instituting practical measures to cut the excesses of cabinet and the President first.

The only policy that the ZANU PF has been consistent in and excelled at for the past three decades is patronage politics, plunder and corruption.

As MDC we understand the value of policy consistency and sustainable decisions based on the end result for the Zimbabwean people rather than short-term populist decisions that will later cause us damage. We know that good leaders listen, consult, are not afraid to engage experts.

 The ZANU PF government has failed Zimbabweans on all these aspects and needs to go before they sink us all in their confusion.

Kurauone Chihwayi
MDC National Spokesperson