Exiled former Tourism and Hospitality Minister, Dr Walter Mzembi, has said Zimbabwe is back to the 2009 Government of National Unity (GNU) era when then Finance and Economic Development Minister, Tendai Biti, paid all civil servants US$100 as hyperinflation wreaked havoc.
He speaks as described as the incumbent Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, recently announced monetary benefits for government workers.
Ncube announced a 20 per cent increase in the Zimbabwe Dollar salary component backdated to 1 January 2022 and a USD100, per month in the hard currency for every civil servant with effect from the 1st of March 2022.
He also said this will be done through the conversion of a corresponding Zimbabwe dollar salary amount into hard currency, bringing the foreign currency amount to USD175.
Ncube made the announcement amid protests by civil servants who are demanding that the government restore their 2018 salaries when they earned about US$540.
In response to the announcement, Mzembi said the development was unacceptable. Pindula News presents Mzembi’s response:
Back to January 2009 GNU when we were all paid $100 by @BitiTendai , at least it worked. The cost of learning Government by @MthuliNcube has disrupted lives for four years, this is unacceptable. Learning expensively on the job to the detriment of lives!
The industrial actions that have been recurrent in the past two years come when the government claims that it has been making surpasses which it says was channelled towards social amenities and infrastructure development.