Mugabe's salary infuriates opponents

Outraged opposition parties say President Robert Mugabe has shown beyond reasonable doubt that he is now out of touch with reality and should step down.

This followed the nonagenarian leader's revelation on Thursday that he earns a staggering $12 000 a month salary at a time that most Zimbabweans are wallowing in the jaws of debilitating poverty spawned by Zanu-PF's misrule.

What has infuriated many in the country, who are living on less than a dollar a day, is that Mugabe even views the $12 000 he earns a month as not enough - demanding insensitively that it should be increased to match the salaries of other world leaders.

The nonagenarian's high salary, in a country where most civil servants earn less than $300 a month a figure well below the poverty datum line, excludes the many other privileges and presidential perks, worth millions of dollars a year, that he and his family enjoy at the expense of taxpayers.

MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said yesterday Mugabe's salary was grotesque as most ordinary Zimbabweans were living on less than a dollar a day.

"In a country where more than 85 percent of the people live on less than $1 per day, it is obscene for the president to be earning a salary of $12 000 plus several other perks," he said.

"We were actually surprised that Robert Mugabe had the audacity to publicly disclose the details about his fat monthly salary plus perks before a group of underpaid and overworked civil servants.

"This just goes to show how much out of touch with reality this old man has become. With a ruler like Robert Mugabe who needs enemies," Gutu said.

Zapu spokesperson Mjobisa Noko accused Mugabe of being an "inconsiderate and insensitive" leader.

"I am really disappointed and it goes to show you these guys are not considerate in the least bit. The man earns a cool $12 000, he gave himself a lot of farms and companies when the masses are suffering, with most families living on a dollar per day," he said.

Noko added that the so-called "salary gate" of last year, when the managers of organisations linked to the government were accused by politicians of earning inflated salaries, was all "hot air" as Mugabe had gone to triple his salary.

"We are now fully convinced that Mugabe and his cronies are holding onto power to loot and loot and loot while the masses suffer. Mugabe is selfish and his cronies are taking from the poor to enrich themselves and this is unacceptable," Noko said.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC last year Mugabe said: "I'm earning just $4 000 just now. Because of the hard times, this is what we decided on that we should recognise the hard times at the moment".

Jacob Mafume, MDC renewal spokesperson, also tore into Mugabe, accusing him of being out of touch with reality.

"Mugabe's demand is a clear indication that he is out of touch with the reality on the ground. We are shocked that Mugabe wants a salary increase when we are living in Zimbabwe where an economy has since ceased to exist.

"The government, which remains the biggest employer in the country, is increasingly failing to pay the civil servants on time and fewer and fewer people have a guaranteed salary at the end of every month.

"His outrageous demands for a salary increase are an insult, considering that more than 95 percent of the country's population are now vendors while according to recent FinScope Consumer Survey 2014 conducted by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency more than 75 percent of those still fortunate to be in formal employment are earning $200 a month with the majority earning $100 or less, an amount which is way below the poverty datum line," Mafume said.