"The Public Service Commission is pleased to advise Government workers that the USD 75 Covid 19 allowance for September 2020 is being paid today. Going forward, the USD 75 Covid allowance will be paid on pay days. This effectively means that the least paid worker (B1) is now earning ZWL 11 350.16 (or US$ 141 at ZWL 80: US$1 monthly), while a teacher at entry grade (D1) earns a total of ZWL 12 591.15 or US$157)," government announced.
This is a very generous offer indeed considering a teacher at
entry grade (D1) was earning a mere US$ 30 per month! This constitutes a 500%
wage rise. Should the teachers now go out and celebrate? The answer is no for
two reasons:
a)
Even with the new wage, teachers are still earning way below
Poverty Datum Line (PDL)
The PDL in Zimbabwe is US$650 per month and the new wage increase
is only a quarter of the way up. It underlines just how far the teachers are
sunk!
b)
The wage rise is already being eroded away because of the high
inflation
Government has not discovered an unknown source of revenue to pay
for these 500% wage increase for the civil servants, it is going to print money.
And printing money is one sure way of fuelling inflation. Inflation is already
running at 838% year on year and so it is a certainty that inflation is going
to soar.
But even if we assume inflation remains where it is at 838% year
on year; this means in just over six months the teacher earning US$157 per
month today will be earning US$ 30 per month. Back where they started!
A 500% wage rise, inflation rate of 838%, etc. these are the
symptoms of an economy in serious trouble.
The people of Zimbabwe did not elect this Zanu PF government in
July 2018. Zanu PF blatantly rigged the elections just as the party had done
ever since the country’s independence in 1980. Zanu PF rigged the election and
was confident the party will rig economic recovery.
President Mnangagwa was cocksure his “Zimbabwe is open for
business!” clarion call would open the floodgate of investors. It is now
crystal clear that no investors are ever going to come. “Zimbabwe is open for
business!” is dead in the water. Zanu PF has failed to rig economic recovery.
Like it or not we must accept the reality that Zanu PF has no clue
what to do to revive the economy and, most important of all, that the party
will not acknowledge it has failed much less accept the right of every
Zimbabwean to a meaningful say in the governance of the country.
For the last 40 years Zimbabwe has sunk deeper and deeper into
this economic and political crisis because the nation was stuck with a corrupt,
incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF regime that rigged elections to stay in
power.
7 comments:
Justices Sisi Khampepe and Dikgang Moseneke conducted the SA judicial review, which concluded that the (2002) poll was not free and fair. But government refused to allow public access to the report until 2014 and only released it after the Mail & Guardian repeatedly appealed to the courts.
I totally agree, there was no need for SA to refuse to release the 2002 election report. Indeed, it was downright foolish of the regime not to because it only saved to encourage Zanu PF to rig future elections.
The real tragedy here is that SA’s leaders never learned because if they did President Ramaphosa would not have gone to endorse Zimbabwe’s July 2018 rigged elections. “Elections went well!” he said. And yet the Zanu PF government had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll.
A few months ago now, President Ramaphosa tried to get Zanu PF to clean its act and his envoys were humiliated by Mnangagwa. Ramaphosa said he was going to send the envoys back to Zimbabwe but has not done so. He has been busy licking his wounds!
Frankly, the people of Zimbabweans do not want SA pocking its big nose into their affairs if that means more of the foolishness of appeasing Zanu PF! We need to get Zanu PF thugs to step down so we can implement the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections. Having endorse the rigged July 2018 elections it is clear SA has no leverage to get Zanu PF to step down. SA and SADC messed up and must now ask the UN to step in!
These pay increases that are not backed by increased production are utterly meaningless. These pay increases are chasing similar price rises of good and services which will rise again in an endless cycle. Indeed, these inflationary increases are reducing production as economic activity always falls with soaring inflation.
Zimbabweans must finally admit to themselves that it is not wage increases they should be seeking but economic stability born out of good governance.
Talking of free, fair and credible elections and it is interesting to note that many Zimbabweans out there still do not consider the country's failure to hold free and fair elections as the problem. They will not even talk about it! By pushing rigged elections out of their minds, they hope the problem will go away too. The exact opposite has happened, the curse of bad governance has destroyed the nation’s economy and with it the nation.
The teachers are all returning to their post in the classrooms for ¼ of the PDL and in six months they will be back on strike because the wages will be worthless again! It is a rat race or be it this race has an end! This is a rat race to the bottom of the abyss.
@ Blackjecha
“Prominent analysts like you are general trend setters in terms of political mindset trends. It is sad that you are sowing ideas of division in the only true opposition (MDC-A). At the moment the only option of mass substance is Chamisa. It takes a lot of time and resources to convince the Gogos and grade 3 dropouts in the rural areas of a better new leader. (Mind you people like Biti etc are more capable hands)Lets not divide Chamisa's vote. Let’s stand by him for now. Zanu PF is not a joke my friend.”
What the people of Zimbabwe are dying, literally, to hear is the truth. If Nelson Chamisa is corrupt, incompetent and has completely run out of ideas what to do to get the country out of the mess. Then that is exactly what the people of Zimbabwe MUST hear.
There are some people prefer to bury their heads in the sand because they view anything critical of the opposition unacceptable even if it is the truth. Of course, they are entitled to their views; but they must not lie and tell us their foolishness is what the nation wants to hear. The people want to hear what is going to get them out of this mess. If it is true that a corrupt, incompetent and totally confused Chamisa is not going to get the nation out of this mess then they want to hear that.
@ Anesu Godo
Zimbabwe has a population of 16 million and you think only three are the only ones who can rule Mnangagwa, Khupe or Chamisa! No one is more blind than he who refuse to open his eyes!
There is now a mountain of information out there to show that mismanagement and corruption are the root causes of Zimbabwe's economic meltdown. Zanu PF is making a mountain out of a mole hill in presenting sanctions as the root cause of the meltdown. There are those of small intellect who cannot distinguish a mole hill from a mountain and thus chose to believe the propaganda. Such is life!
@ Nomazulu
It was Jesus Christ Himself who said the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath. The same can and must be said about culture. We must keep those cultural practices that save man and fine tune or, if necessary, discard these that no longer save mankind. Culture and tradition must change to save man and it is not man to change to suit culture and tradition.
A recent Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) dossier seen by this newspaper, reveals that during the course of the restructuring exercise, Health Deputy minister John Mangwiro potentially violated public procurement procedures by directing the NatPharm acting general manager and the adjudicating committee to award an undeserving entity Young Health Care a US$6 million contract to procure Covid-19 consumables.
Members of the adjudicating team that arbitrated in favour of Young Health Care comprise of the newly elevated staff. The contract, through which the country could have been prejudiced US$2 million, has since been re-tendered.
In an interview with this newspaper, Mangwiro denied any wrongdoing and advised the Zimbabwe Independent to get answers from Zacc.
Zimbabwe's problems of corruption and rigged elections will never go away as long as Zanu PF remains in power. The party must step down to allow reforms to be implemented and only then can we ever hope to have a clean fresh start!
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