BULAWAYO South MP Eddie Cross has warned that the government may fail to pay civil servants after it awarded them an increment backdated to January.
Staff Reporter
The government gave civil servants a $54 salary increment which saw the lowest paid employee earning around $375 per month at the beginning of the year, but could not immediately pay the new salaries due to a cash squeeze.
Soldiers and some government workers have reportedly been paid the new salaries.
But debating a motion in the National Assembly calling on the government to activate the tripartite negotiating forum introduced by Mberengwa West MP Makhosini Hlongwane (Zanu PF), Cross said it was common knowledge that the government was broke.
“I read the statement by (Public Service minister Nicholas)Goche, the minister responsible and I had a sinking feeling in my heart as to how on earth they are going to be able to fulfill these promises,” he said.
“I sat in the finance committee on Monday and listened to the secretary for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (Willard Manhungo) indicated to us that he was busy getting together the resources to fulfill the commitments made by the President (Robert Mugabe) and the minister.”
Cross added: “We all know that on the 25th of this month, we will not have the money in the coffers in order to fulfill our promises to our people.
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“This reflects a national crisis; one which will engulf all of us.
“We have to recognise in this House that if the economy improves or grows, it lifts everybody.
“It lifts those of us who are in opposition and those in the government. What we need to do is to recognise that which is missing because if you look at our potential, it is enormous.”
Last month the government delayed paying civil servants by three days as it battled to raise the money.
Teachers and soldiers were paid on time, but many other lower level civil servants had to wait for days for their salaries.
