Few remaining employees in Zimbabwe stuck at home as prices sky rocket


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As the economic situation continues to worsen in Zimbabwe most civil
servants have stopped going to work as they have run out money for
transport.

AS the economic situation continues to worsen in Zimbabwe most civil
servants have stopped going to work as they have run out money for
transport.

Four months ago the public service commission introduced ‘unannounced up wages’ for civil servants – a system which has seen government employees being paid at least twice a month.

Half the members of staff at various government departments including schools and hospital are reporting for work.

“We stopped attending work since Monday as we are awaiting additional payments as before to enable us to travel to work,” said a Mr Ncube.

“It however seems the measure might have been a campaign gimmick for President Mugabe which could have been stopped after he won the presidential run off on June 27.”

Prices of basic supplies and services have continued to increase with
commuter omnibuses now charging Z$15 billion for a single trip, while the average wage of civil servants is about Z$200 billion.

Most Zimbabweans are hoping a solution to the nation’s crisis will soon be found through talks currently being held by the two major political parties.

Last week Thabo Mbeki the SADC-appointed mediator conducted the first meeting in Harare which for the first time was attended by Mugabe and members of a formation of the opposition MDC led by Prof Arthur
Mutambarara.

MDC delegation did not attend the meeting, but a second similar meeting is scheduled to be held in South Africa next week, where both formations of the MDC are said to have confirmed they will attend.

“Unless the meeting next week comes up with a way forward, the people of Zimbabwe will continue to suffer and this time the government seems to have run out of ideas on how to temporarily cover up some of the problems as they have been doing in the past,” said Miss Primrose Rusengwe head teacher at a primary school in Harare.

She said the situation was being worsened by some key players in the economy who continue to increase prices unreasonably to cripple the government and force the Zanu PF government to give in to opposition demands.

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